Carlo Ancelotti has dismissed Pep Guardiola’s recent comments regarding Manchester City’s chances of overturning their UEFA Champions League deficit against Real Madrid, insisting the City boss cannot truly believe their chances are as low as “one per cent.”
Guardiola, whose team suffered a 3-2 defeat in the first leg at the Etihad after being ahead twice, made the statement ahead of Wednesday’s crucial return leg at the Santiago Bernabeu, admitting that his side’s hopes of progressing were extremely slim.
However, Ancelotti, the Real Madrid manager, has come out to challenge Guardiola’s assessment, suggesting that City still possess significant potential to make a comeback.
Manchester City have endured a turbulent season so far, facing challenges both domestically and in Europe.
Despite their uncharacteristic struggles, they managed to scrape through to the knockout stages of the Champions League, securing their place in the final moments of the newly-formed league-phase.
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With the second leg now just around the corner, Guardiola’s side will need to produce a monumental performance if they are to overturn the current scoreline and keep their European hopes alive.
“He doesn’t really think so,” Ancelotti said during his latest press conference.
“We don’t think we have a 99 per cent chance. We have a small advantage and we have to take advantage of it.
“We have to play the same game as in the first leg, because it went well, but we have to take into account the difficulties. We are trying to prepare well.”
