Pep Guardiola has played down the chances of a dramatic comeback against Real Madrid following Manchester City’s heavy defeat in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League Round of 16 clash.
The Premier League champions were beaten 3–0 by Madrid in the opening leg, leaving Guardiola’s side with a daunting task in the return fixture. However, the Spanish manager appeared calm when asked about the possibility of turning the tie around.
Speaking after the defeat, Guardiola suggested that few people would realistically expect City to overturn the deficit.
“Comeback on Tuesday? West Ham,” Guardiola said, briefly shifting the conversation toward City’s upcoming domestic fixture.
The City boss also admitted that the odds are stacked against his side ahead of the decisive second leg in Madrid.
“Not much dollars from the bank bet on us to come back vs Real Madrid, so we’ll see on Tuesday,” he added.
Guardiola’s comments underline the scale of the challenge facing City after their disappointing performance against the Spanish giants. Madrid were clinical on the night and punished City’s defensive lapses, putting themselves in firm control of the tie.
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