Guardiola Predicts City’s Slim Chances Against Real Madrid
Following a painful defeat at the Etihad against Real Madrid, Pep Guardiola has shared his pessimistic outlook on his team’s chances of winning at the Santiago Bernabéu.
Guardiola has often displayed false humility, which has become one of his trademarks. When asked about City’s chances of securing a victory in Madrid, the Spanish coach played the victim.
“Our chances are minimal… The margin for winning at the Bernabéu might not even reach 1%,” stated the Manchester City manager.
Guardiola Downplays City’s Chances, But Is It a Mind Game?
Given what happened in the first leg, Real Madrid appeared vastly superior to the English side and could have won by a greater margin. However, knowing Guardiola, this could be a tactical ploy to play the underdog and catch Madrid off guard if Ancelotti’s team lets its guard down.
This past weekend, City delivered their best performance of the season, demolishing Newcastle 4-0. The standout was Egyptian winter signing Marmoush, who netted a hat-trick and proved to be a dangerous asset that Guardiola might use in the Champions League round-of-16 second leg.
City Finds Form with Key Players Stepping Up
City’s display against Newcastle was reminiscent of their peak performances, with winter signing Nico González partnering Gündogan in midfield, Savinho on the right wing, Marmoush on the left, and Foden operating behind Haaland.
In defense, Rico Lewis and Gvardiol played as full-backs, while newly signed Khusanov and Stones formed the center-back pairing. Ederson retained his position in goal despite his underwhelming performance against Real Madrid last Tuesday.
However, this lineup is unlikely to be the one Guardiola fields at the Bernabéu. Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva did not play a single minute against Newcastle, making it highly probable that they will start on Wednesday. Additionally, Jack Grealish was not even included in the squad.
Despite Guardiola’s downplaying of their chances, Manchester City possesses enough weapons to pose a serious threat to Real Madrid. The Spanish giants are expected to welcome back Rüdiger, Alaba, and Lucas Vázquez for this crucial encounter.
