Pep Guardiola says Manchester City have ‘1 per cent’ chance at Real Madrid

LONDON – Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola believes his team have only a “1 per cent” chance of overcoming Real Madrid in their Champions League clash on Feb 19.

City were defeated 3-2 at home in the first leg of their play-off clash last week despite leading 2-1 with just four minutes left in the tie.

“The margin to win at the Bernabeu from that position, everybody knows, the percentage to go through, we arrive at 1 per cent. Or I don’t know what, but it will be minimal,” said Guardiola.

“But as much as you have a chance we will try, that’s for sure. We are going like we always have done but, this season, the reality is we have been miles away. We have been really, really poor in performances and results this season.”

City go to Spain buoyed by a 4-0 win over Newcastle United in the Premier League which kept them on course for a return to the Champions League even if this season’s campaign ends in midweek.

“For one game, Saturday, we played really good but it’s not going to change the opinion, the reality. But, of course, it’s better to travel to Madrid with this result,” added the City manager.

Also having to claw back a deficit are Celtic. Their manager Brendan Rodgers urged his underdog side not to die wondering in the Feb 18 must-win Champions League second leg away at Bayern Munich.

Bayern are in the driver’s seat for a spot in the last 16 after a 2-1 win at Celtic Park on Feb 12.

Under this season’s new Champions League format, Celtic made it out of the group stage for the first time since 2012-13, finishing 21st in the table. But their progress has come in spite of poor away form in Europe.

Two scoreless draws at Atalanta and Dinamo Zagreb were bookended by thrashings at Borussia Dortmund and Aston Villa, with Celtic conceding 11 and scoring three.

Six-time Champions League winners Bayern may have struggled away in Europe this season, losing three of five, but are dominant at home.

Bayern have not lost in Munich in the Champions League since April 2021, a run of 20 games including battles against Real Madrid and Manchester City in the seasons they won the competition.

After the 3-0 controlled demolition of fourth-placed Dundee United on Feb 15, Celtic have a 13-point lead atop the Scottish Premiership table. Matches against Europe’s best have however spotlighted the gulf in quality Rodgers’ Bhoys must overcome should they progress further in the tournament.

The loss to Bayern was Celtic’s first defeat on home soil in 33 games dating back to December 2023, once more highlighting the scope of the challenge on Feb 18.

On Feb 15, Rodgers praised his side’s “mentality and focus” as they continued to develop and improve on the European stage.

“We’ve made great strides this season from last season in the competition. We’ve been competitive. I wanted us to show our level throughout the competition and we’ve done that,” he said.

Bayern were in control for the first 70 minutes last week but late lapses in concentration allowed Celtic to cut the deficit through Daizen Maeda, giving them hope.

With away goals no longer worth more, Celtic need a one-goal win to take the game to extra time – or a two-goal win to progress.

“Whatever happens on Tuesday, the guys can be really proud of what they’ve achieved and can look to build on that.

“We always want to keep our boldness, but our humility is important as well. It’s an exciting challenge for us in Munich and a big opportunity for us.”

Like Celtic, Bayern are also well ahead in their domestic league.

After an uncharacteristically defensive performance in the Feb 15 0-0 draw at defending champions Bayer Leverkusen, Bayern sit eight points clear with 12 games to play.

While Vincent Kompany’s men failed to register a shot on target in a half of football for the first time since at least 1992, when the stat was first recorded, the dogged effort showed Bayern have the steel to grind out a result when needed.

“How can I be disappointed?” Kompany asked in a post-match interview on Feb 15, adding “we just came back from a fantastic result in Glasgow and Leverkusen far outpace a lot of the competition in the Bundesliga”.

“Of course, we will look to learn from this game. But we have been so so dominant on so many occasions this season it was good to see this side of the team as well.”

Also on Feb 18, two Italian sides will be hoping to bounce back from surprise first-leg defeats. Atalanta host Club Brugge hoping to overturn a 2-1 deficit, while AC Milan will hope home comforts help them erase Feyenoord’s 1-0 advantage. Elsewhere, Benfica will welcome AS Monaco with a 1-0 advantage. AFP