Pep Guardiola doubts Manchester City's chances of winning Champions League
What's the story
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has cast doubt on the team's chances of winning this season's UEFA Champions League.
After a nervy encounter against Club Brugge, where City had to come from behind to win 3-1, Guardiola voiced his doubts at the post-match press conference.
"Right now, no (I don't). I'm so pragmatic, the reality is the reality," he said when asked about their chances of winning in a press conference.
Format concerns
Guardiola criticizes new Champions League format
Guardiola also expressed his displeasure over the new-look Champions League format, blaming it for City's difficulty in the early stages of the tournament.
The team had a rough start with only two wins in their first seven games.
"I would say I don't like (the new format) because we suffer a lot. We were on the perch, 45 minutes to be out," he said at the presser.
Motivational speech
Guardiola's halftime talk sparks City's comeback
During the match against Club Brugge, Guardiola revealed his motivational halftime talk that spurred the team's comeback.
"I told them it was over, that we are out..." he said, before adding, "In the second half, we lift our soul and our hearts were free."
This pep talk seemed to have ignited a spark in the team as they managed to turn around their fortunes in the second half.
Future fixtures
Manchester City's upcoming challenges in Champions League
Looking ahead, Manchester City will take on either Bayern Munich or Real Madrid in the two-legged knockout round.
Considering their form this season, these matches could be a major challenge for the team.
In their last match against Club Brugge, City was on the verge of disaster before pulling off a win, thanks largely to substitute Savinho's performance that helped them avoid elimination.
Fixtures and results
Man City's run in the Champions League league stage
City opened their UEFA Champions League campaign with a scoreless draw against Inter Milan (September 2024).
They then thrashed ŠK Slovan Bratislava (0-4), and AC Sparta Praha (5-0) in their next two fixtures (October 2024).
In November, they lost 4-1 against Sporting Lisbon and drew 3-3 against Feyenoord before losing to Juventus (2-0) in December.
In their two January 2025 games, they lost against PSG (4-2) and beat Club Brugge (3-1).
City finished 22nd in the 36-team table.