Pep Guardiola Underestimating Manchester City Chances, Says Real Madrid's Carlo Ancelotti

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said Tuesday his Manchester City counterpart Pep Guardiola was deliberately underestimating the English side's hopes of reaching the Champions League last 16. European champions Madrid hold a 3-2 lead on City, who have struggled this season and are fourth in the Premier League, ahead of the play-off round second leg on Wednesday at the Santiago Bernabeu. After thrashing Newcastle 4-0 on Saturday, Guardiola said English champions City have only a one percent chance of ousting the record 15-time European Cup winners.

"He does not truly think that, tomorrow I'll ask him before the game -- do you really think you've got a one percent chance?" Ancelotti told a news conference.

"He really thinks they've got more chance than that... we don't think we have 99 percent chance.

"We think we have a small advantage that we have to take advantage of, and try to play the same game we set up in the first leg, which went well."

Guardiola later admitted he also gave his team a bigger chance of progressing than he previously said.

"This time I lied to you," said Guardiola.

"I always say what I think and you never believe me, but this time you are right...

"(After the first leg) nobody would have bet on us, the one percent was there, the truth is that the days pass, you get more excited, it's not the best result for us to have taken but we will try to go through, for sure."

Ancelotti confirmed defender Antonio Rudiger was fit to start for the holders after injury but Lucas Vazquez would only be ready for the bench.

City attackers Erling Haaland and Jack Grealish were able to train ahead of the game after injury issues and Guardiola said it was "good news" they had been able to travel to the Spanish capital.