In the first leg of the UEFA Champions League play-off, Man City lost 2-3 to Real Madrid at the Etihad.
To advance, Man City must beat Real by 2 goals or more at the Bernabeu, a difficult task when Real are the defending champions.
When asked at the press conference before the return match, about what to do to win and bring Man City to the round of 16, Pep Guardiola replied firmly: It is clear that Man City need to create an almost perfect match. We have to attack and score, that's the idea.
It will be very difficult to face Real Madrid away, especially after the result in the first leg. We have to play with courage. Be yourself. I learned that as a young player when we didn't get the result we wanted. We have no other choice, after losing in the first leg.
Pep Guardiola also provided updated information about the force. Jack Grealish, who was forced off after half an hour in the first leg last week, has trained normally and traveled with the team to Spain.
Erling Haaland was sent off in the win over Newcastle in the Premier League last weekend; Nathan Ake and Ruben Dias have also trained and been included in the tour squad.
Meanwhile, midfielder Bernardo Silva believes Man City still have a chance to turn the situation around against Real, but things will be very difficult. He said: I think my teammates at Man City will have a lot of motivation when facing Real Madrid in the Champions League.
This was a special match. This is even more meaningful after many poor results of Man City this season. Continuing to play in the Champions League will be a great motivation for us, in the context of the team having a hard time winning the Premier League.
We believe Man City can still successfully come back and beat Real Madrid, even though they are a very strong team and have many special moments in this tournament.
The Real Madrid vs Man City match will take place at 3:00 a.m. on February 20.
