Pep Guardiola says Manchester Metropolis might want to play an nearly “good recreation” to overturn a one-goal deficit at Actual Madrid within the Champions League knockout play-offs.
Metropolis path Actual 3-2 from the primary leg after scoring two late objectives on the Etihad and are in charge of the tie towards Guardiola’s facet as they return to dwelling soil for the second leg.
Guardiola has already insisted Metropolis have a “lower than 1%” likelihood of reaching the final 16 towards the 15-time winners, which opposing boss Carlo Ancelotti has rubbished, and is underneath no illusions of the duty dealing with his crew.
“We have now to make it nearly the right recreation,” he stated. “We have now to assault. We have now to attain objectives. That is the concept.”
Guardiola is decided Metropolis is not going to depart the Bernabeu questioning or with regrets, saying: “We should play with braveness. We should be ourselves. It is going to want unimaginable braveness and we should play to win.
“We might nonetheless lose, however we have now to point out that braveness and be ourselves. We have now to play so effectively, particularly after the outcome we took away within the first leg.”
PEP 💬 We might be crushed within the 94th minute however we have now at all times been a machine, each three days, nobody has performed what we have now performed in England… Possibly we’re not a stable crew, perhaps we miss Rodri, in fact, he’s the very best participant on this planet… I’ve been a coach 13/14 years and… pic.twitter.com/51y886XQy2
— Manchester Metropolis (@ManCity) February 18, 2025
Pep’s Bernabeu return
Metropolis have endured combined experiences throughout their journeys to the Bernabeu lately, having received throughout a coronavirus-impacted tie in 2020, earlier than a dramatic extra-time defeat in 2022.
They then exorcised these demons a yr in a while the best way to profitable the Treble, profitable 5-1 on mixture following a 1-1 draw the the Bernabeu.
“I’ve some unimaginable recollections right here – typically good ones, typically not so good,” Guardiola, who additionally managed Barcelona plenty of occasions on the Bernabeu, added.
“We all know at this stage, and on this stadium, the stress is there – however you get that in Milan, in Barcelona, at Anfield. It’s important to endure at these locations, however you must cut back these moments.”
Ancelotti rubbishes Pep’s 1% declare
Actual supervisor has rubbished recommendations Metropolis have a 1% likelihood of reaching the final 16, saying: “He doesn’t actually suppose that. We don’t suppose we have now a 99% likelihood.
“We have now a small benefit – and we have now to make the most of that.”
Guardiola responded: “For the primary time he didn’t consider me. I at all times say what I believe, and this time you don’t consider me.”