Manager insists his side have all it takes to achieve “massive” comeback
Pep Guardiola has conceded that Manchester City will need something close to perfection if they are to overturn their heavy deficit against Real Madrid in Tuesday’s decisive second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie.
City head into the game trailing 3-0 after last week’s humiliation at the Santiago Bernabeu, where Madrid captain Federico Valverde delivered a stunning first-half hat-trick to put the Spanish side firmly in control of the tie.
“It has to be a perfect game in many senses and so we try and try,” Guardiola said. “It’s about the players getting into perfect positions. We played with four or five strikers in the first leg and didn’t score a goal.
“Sometimes you play with two false 9s and score five goals. The idea is there – we have to try it. Not too much different things needed. We can create many chances in minutes.”
The City manager pointed to a famous comeback from the 2022-23 season as proof that dramatic turnarounds remain possible. On the final day of that campaign, City recovered from two goals down against Aston Villa to clinch the Premier League title thanks to a late surge inspired by Ilkay Gundogan.
“We made three goals in 14 minutes,” Guardiola said. “In other comebacks we did incredible things, but we conceded or goal difference [was decisive], or we were out for decisions from referees. It has to be a perfect game in many departments to make these kind of things.”
History offers City little encouragement. Only three teams have ever overturned a three-goal first-leg deficit in the knockout stages of the Champions League: Deportivo La Coruna against AC Milan in 2004, AS Roma against Barcelona in 2018, and Liverpool against Barcelona in the famous 2019 semifinal comeback.
“The task is massive,” Guardiola said. “To score more than three goals against Madrid is not easy but we are here, it is a football game, everything can happen and we have to create as much momentum as possible with our people and do a good game and defend well. If we are able to be clinical and defend well, we will always be in the game.”
Preparations for the match have not been entirely straightforward. Guardiola opted not to hold a traditional training session on Monday, instead giving his players additional rest following Saturday’s 1-1 draw with West Ham United.
“I prefer them to be at home,” Guardiola said in response. “We will arrive at 2pm [on Tuesday, the matchday], move a little on the legs and go. I did it two or three times this season.”
