Pep Guardiola: Man City can beat Real Madrid even with ‘much worse’ performance than in first leg

The Spaniard’s team were 4-3 winners at home to Real in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final

Pep Guardiola addresses the media ahead of the Champions League semi-final (AFP via Getty Images)

Pep Guardiola said Manchester City could reach the Champions League final by playing badly as he argued the unpredictability of football makes their semi-final against Real Madrid hard to call.

City take a 4-3 lead to the Bernabeu after a first leg where City excelled in attack and could have scored more goals but Guardiola, who lost five Champions League semi-finals in his time in charge of Barcelona and Bayern Munich, is conscious such occasions are not always logical.

“We can play much, much worse than we played [last week] and we can win,” Guardiola said. “Nobody knows, football is unpredictable. I don’t know what is going to happen tomorrow. There are moments you train really bad and make an exceptional performance.”

City were runners-up in the competition last year and have been regulars in the knockout stages in Guardiola’s reign. He hopes their experience is an advantage but admitted nothing is certain to secure progress.

He added: “There will be guys that they wake up in the morning and how will be their mood and how will be their form and many things that experience didn’t help. The fact we have been there, we have been there quite a lot in the last years in these big games and these scenarios...

“In those terms, we have been here and when you have won and have been there [it can help]. When you think I have been there and I know how to handle the situation, that helps but it is not a guarantee. Because we have been there before doesn’t mean that we are going to play good or perform well.”

Luka Modric said that if Real play at their peak, they will advance to the final and Guardiola added: “Every team thinks if they play their best they have more chance to beat their opponent. That is normal. We think that, too.”

Kyle Walker is back in contention after an ankle injury sustained against Atletico Madrid and Guardiola will make a late call whether to pick the right back.

“He is going to travel and tomorrow we will decide,” he said. “He was three weeks without training but I am happy he is back.”

The other option is to use Joao Cancelo, who was suspended for the first leg when John Stones and then Fernandinho played at right back. “Joao is no doubt,” Guardiola said. “We will see tomorrow how Kyle is and how he trains this afternoon.”