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Pep Guardiola has admitted Manchester City require a “perfect game” to overturn Real Madrid’s 3-0 lead in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie on Tuesday.
Álvaro Arbeloa’s team are firm favourites to progress to the quarter-finals after their victory at the Bernabéu last week when Madrid’s captain, Federico Valverde, scored a first-half hat-trick.
Guardiola understands the challenge confronting his team. “It has to be a perfect game in many senses and so we try and try,” he 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.”
Guardiola referenced the 3-2 victory against Aston Villa on the final day of the 2022-23 season that clinched the Premier League title, City were 2-0 down until the 76th minute when Ilkay Gündoğan ignited a thrilling comeback. “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.”
Only three teams have overturned a three-goal deficit in the knockout rounds of the Champions League: Deportivo La Coruña, when beating Milan 4-0 in the 2003-04 quarter-finals to win 5-4 on aggregate; Roma, when beating Barcelona 3-0 in the 2017-18 quarter-finals to draw 4-4 on aggregate and progress on away goals; and Liverpool, when beating Barcelona 4–0 in the 2018-19 semi-finals to win 4-3 on aggregate. “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.”
City may face a Uefa sanction after Guardiola decided not to train the squad on Monday, preferring to do so instead Tuesday afternoon in order to give his players an extended rest following the 1-1 draw with West Ham on Saturday night. Uefa rules state: “If a club does not hold a full training session on the day before the match, alternative arrangements must be made in agreement with Uefa to provide the media with access to a minimum of 15 minutes of the team’s preparation.”
“I prefer them to be at home,” Guardiola said in response. “We will arrive at 2 [pm on Tuesday], move a little on the legs and go. I did it two or three times this season.”
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