Despite Manchester City's dominant victory over Newcastle, Pep Guardiola made it clear that his team has minimal chances of overcoming Real Madrid in the second leg of the Champions League Round of 16. 

"One percent." That was Guardiola’s blunt response when asked about City’s chances at the Santiago Bernabéu. Last week, the English side suffered a heartbreaking 3-2 defeat at the Etihad Stadium after a comeback by Los Blancos, leaving the tie heavily in Madrid’s favor. Although his team secured a 4-0 win over Newcastle in the Premier League, the manager refused to get carried away by the enthusiasm.

An Uphill Battle for City

Guardiola acknowledged that the win against Newcastle was a confidence booster but insisted that their level this season has not been good enough to compete with teams like Real Madrid. "This season, we have been far from where we need to be. Our performance has been way below expectations, and only in this last match did we truly play well, but that doesn’t change my view," he stated.

The Catalan coach assured that the team will give its best effort at the Bernabéu, but his confidence remains low. "Whenever we have a chance, we will try—that’s for sure. But the reality is that we have been miles away from where we need to be. There is no room for error."

With the deficit against them and their coach’s pessimism, Manchester City will have to defy the odds and prove they still have a fighting chance. Will Guardiola pull off a surprise in Madrid, or will his "one percent" prediction become a reality?