Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola says his team has a mere one percent chance of qualifying for the Round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League after a challenging first-leg encounter with Real Madrid.

Guardiola’s blunt assessment comes in the wake of a difficult 2-3 home loss to the Spanish giants at Etihad last week. City took the lead twice in the 19th minute through Erling Haaland and in the 80th through the same player after Kylian Mbappe's 60th-minute equalizer.

However, as it has happened many times this season, City conceded late goals to lose the encounter, with Brahim Diaz and Jude Bellingham netting in the game's last six minutes.

Manchester City's quest for a second Champions League glory is on the line as they prepare to take on the competition's most successful side.

With the second leg happening on Wednesday in the Spanish capital, Guardiola acknowledged the difficulty of the task ahead, reflecting on his team's weaknesses and inconsistency.

"The margin to win at the Bernabeu from that position, everybody knows, the percentage to go through, we arrive at one per cent. Or I don't know what, but it will be minimal," Guardiola is quoted by NDTV.

The Premier League side, who won the Champions League undefeated in 2022/23, have struggled to repeat their highly impressive performance in the last two seasons.

Man City demolished Newcastle United 4-0 on Saturday, with January signing Omar Marmoush scoring a hat-trick and Guardiola was quick to warn that they are not completely out of the tie against the Spanish powerhouse.

"But as much as you have a chance we will try, that's for sure. We are going like we always have done but, this season, the reality is we have been miles away. We have been really, really poor in performances and results this season." the City boss added.

Real Madrid’s history in the UEFA Champions League is matchless. The club have won the coveted competition a record 15 times, and their ability to thrive in high-pressure moments has earned them the nickname “Kings of Europe.”

In recent years, Real Madrid has found a way to edge out the biggest and best teams in the world, and they have displayed their dominion against the likes of PSG, Chelsea, Dortmund, and Liverpool in previous campaigns.

However, with Los Blancos having shown signs of weaknesses in key games this season as seen in the losses to Barcelona and AC Milan, it remains to be seen how Vinicius Jr and his friends would fare on Wednesday.

earlier reported Pep Guardiola's revelation on Real Madrid's advantage over his Manchester City side.

There is a growing rivalry between the English and Spanish football clubs in recent seasons.

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Source: YEN.com.gh