“I lied to you,” Pep Guardiola makes STRANGE claim ahead of showdown against Real Madrid

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola cheekily admitted that he was lying when he claimed that the club has a 1% chance of beating Real Madrid.

“I lied to you,” Pep Guardiola makes STRANGE claim ahead of showdown against Real Madrid

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola went on to admit that he lied about the club's 1% chance against Real Madrid (via Facebook)

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola surprisingly admitted that he was lying, when he said that the club has a one percent chance of making it to the UCL last-16. His comments come ahead of the club’s second-leg play-off encounter against Real Madrid.

Cityzens travel to the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu with a disadvantage, as Real Madrid have a 3-2 lead over the Premier League giants. The first-leg at the Etihad ended in favor of the Los Blancos, thanks to Jude Bellingham‘s stoppage-time winner. The Englishman scored from close range in the 92nd minute of the match, after Vinicius Jr. managed to lob the ball past goalkeeper Ederson.

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Earlier this week, Pep Guardiola had insisted that his side have a minimal chance of beating Real Madrid in the second-leg. He added that Man City would be banking on the one percent chance that they have, with the hopes of producing a major turnaround. His comments, were however rebuffed by Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti, who went on to state that his side does not have a 99 percent chance.

The Man City chief later conceded that he was lying about the one percent chance of knocking Real Madrid out of the UCL, reasserting his belief in his side. However, he accepted that City would have to be ‘almost perfect’ to overturn the 3-2 deficit. While agreeing that it is difficult to play at the Bernabeu, Guardiola urged his players to ‘scare’ the reigning UCL winners, despite the challenges.

Every time I say what I think, you don’t believe me but this time you got it right — I lied… Let’s see if we can at least scare them and we’ll see what happens.

Pep Guardiola to reporters (H/T The Sun)

Manchester City last defeated Real Madrid at home during the 2019-20 UCL season. Their most recent victory over the 15-time UCL winners came in the semi-finals during the 2022-23 season, where they went on to eventually win their first title.

Hansi Flick reaches Pep Guardiola’s historic milestone at FC Barcelona

FC Barcelona manager Hansi Flick most recently equaled former Catalan boss and current Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola’s impressive record at the club. Flick equaled a goal-scoring record with the Catalan giants.

Hansi Flick Pep Guardiola record
Barcelona manager Hansi Flick equalled Pep Guardiola’s goal-scoring record at the club. (via Barca Blaugranes)

Hansi Flick’s Barcelona side has scored 114 goals across 37 matches in all competitions this season, similar to the total number of goals scored during Pep Guardiola’s time at the club. Guardiola’s team achieved this feat during the historic 2011-12 season. Moreover, during that memorable season, the club went on to break more record, ending with 190 goals in 64 matches.

Hansi Flick’s side on the other hand, equaled the record in the club’s 1-0 victory over Rayo Vallecano in the Spanish league. The win also helped Barcelona climb to the top of the La Liga table, level on points with arch-rivals Real Madrid.