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Guardiola on Real Madrid Clash: 'Have to Play with Courage'

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Pep Guardiola says Manchester City must play with courage to beat Real Madrid in the Champions League.



Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has confessed to employing a tactical ploy by downplaying his team's chances of overcoming Real Madrid in the Champions League. Guardiola had previously stated that Manchester City had only a “one percent” chance of eliminating the holders, but he now acknowledges that this assessment was an exaggeration.


Guardiola's original statement was made in the aftermath of Manchester City's 3-2 defeat to Real Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League tie at the Etihad Stadium. The Citizens had been in control, but a late collapse allowed Real to seize the initiative. Despite the setback, Guardiola's team will be seeking to overturn the deficit in the second leg.


On the eve of the highly anticipated clash in Madrid, Real coach Carlos Ancelotti playfully suggested that even Pep Guardiola didn't believe his earlier pessimistic forecast. Guardiola was asked about Ancelotti's comments, and with a grin, he replied: “I lied about the one percent chance. For the first time I lied.” He then added, “After the 2-3, nobody gave a penny for us. It's not the best result, but we can do it. Carlo won't have to tell me anything before the game.”




Manchester City received a timely boost ahead of the match as leading scorer Erling Haaland participated in training on Tuesday. Haaland had left the field with an apparent knee injury during Saturday's 4-0 win over Newcastle, sparking concerns about his availability. However, his presence at training was a welcome sight for Guardiola, who also saw Ruben Dias, Nathan Ake, and Jack Grealish return to training after missing the Newcastle match.


While Guardiola was pleased to have his players back in training, he remained cautious about their chances of playing in the match against Real Madrid. When asked about the status of Dias, Ake, Grealish, and Haaland, Guardiola said: “They travelled. We will see tomorrow, but it is good news they are here.” Guardiola's comments suggested that he was keeping his team selection options open, leaving everyone guessing about his starting lineup for the crucial Champions League match.


Guardiola's Bernabeu Memories and City's Challenge Ahead

Pep Guardiola is no stranger to the intense atmosphere of Real Madrid's Bernabeu Stadium, having experienced both triumphs and setbacks there. “I have incredibly good memories in the stadium, sometimes good and at times not good,” he reflected. “Never have been easy,” he added, acknowledging the challenges that come with playing at the iconic venue.




When asked about what it will take for Manchester City to beat Real Madrid in their own stadium, Guardiola emphasized the importance of courage and self-expression. “Have to play with courage, have to be yourself,” he said. “You have to make an almost perfect game.” This sentiment was echoed by City midfielder Bernardo Silva, who spoke about the team's recent struggles and their journey towards redemption.


Silva recalled a particularly difficult period in November, following their 4-1 thrashing by Sporting Lisbon, saying that the team had been in “a dark place."/” However, he noted that the team's mindset has shifted since then. “When a team is so successful as ours was in the last seven to eight seasons, you lose a few games, you're not used to it, you have a bad few months, and we don't accept it,” he explained. “I do think that the team is in a better moment now. Still not perfect in terms of results. But, yeah, I think we're not in the same dark place, especially personally that I was feeling like we were in.”




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