Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has challenged his players to show belief ahead of their daunting second-leg encounter against Real Madrid, insisting there is no room for doubt as the Premier League champions attempt to overturn a heavy deficit in the UEFA Champions League.
City head into the decisive tie trailing 3–0 from the first leg at the Santiago Bernabéu, but Guardiola insisted his side must approach the match with conviction and courage rather than resignation.
“If they don’t believe we can come back, it’s their problem,” Guardiola said during his pre-match press conference. “They are adults. If they don’t believe in the Champions League, then go home, stay home. We have to try. What do we have to lose?”
The Spanish tactician acknowledged the scale of the challenge but maintained that surrender is not an option for a team that has enjoyed a decade of domestic dominance and European contention under his leadership.
Guardiola stressed that belief and mentality will be critical if City are to produce one of the competition’s famous comebacks.
“If after ten years I have to explain to our players what faith is, then we have a problem,” he added. “I’m pretty sure we will give it a try.”
Despite the heavy first-leg defeat, Guardiola argued that City’s performance was not as poor as the scoreline suggested. He pointed out that his side created opportunities but failed to convert them, while Madrid punished mistakes with ruthless efficiency.
Real Madrid’s clinical display in the opening encounter has given the Spanish giants a commanding advantage, leaving City needing a near-perfect performance in the return leg to keep their Champions League hopes alive.
Still, Guardiola remains determined that his players fight until the final whistle.
“I’m not the type of person who says we are not going to try,” he said. “It’s difficult, but we will see what happens.”
The clash promises another chapter in one of modern European football’s fiercest rivalries, with both clubs regularly meeting in the latter stages of the Champions League in recent seasons.