Manchester City's quest to reach the Uefa Champions League last 16 faces the ultimate test when they tackle Real Madrid in the play-offs.
Pep Guardiola's side scraped out the revamped group stage by the skin of their teeth after beating Club Brugge in their final game.
Anything less than three points and City would have been out but a 3-1 win kept alive their hopes and secured a clash with the reigning European and Spanish champions over two legs.
The English Premier League title holders have struggled both domestically and in Europe this season.
Their hopes of achieving a historic fifth Premier League crown in a row are all but over – they sit fifth in the table, 14 points behind leaders Liverpool who have a game in hand.
In the Champions League, City lost three of their eight group matches – to Sporting Lisbon, Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain – only making the play-off stage thanks to a superior goal difference.
And Guardiola pulled no punches about why they face a two-legged clash – with the decider in Madrid – to keep alive their hopes of reaching the knockout stage.
“We play the second game away because we were not good in the group stage,” said the former Barcelona coach on Monday. “We finished 22-24 – you cannot ask any favour.
“We didn't deserve it, we didn't get enough points to start in the eight first, not even close to that position. Do it better and maybe you have another draw.
“The group stage, the knockout stage is always difficult, we have not done quite well in the group stage so we deserve to be where we are. The draw is the draw and [we] accept the challenge.”
And that challenge is facing a team who has become a familiar foe in recent campaigns with the two clubs meeting for a fourth season in a row.
In 2021-22, Real came out on top over two legs in the semi-finals – ahead of securing a record-extending 14th crown – with City triumphing a year later at the same stage on their way to a first ever European Cup.
And Los Blancos ended City's reign last season via a penalty shoot-out in the quarter-finals.
When asked whether he feels that City are underdogs this time round, against a team siting top of La Liga – Guardiola said: “I don't know. Both teams have had problems in terms of injuries during the season.
“Madrid handle it much better than us because they are still top of the league and fighting against Atletico Madrid. That shows again the consistency they have.
“At the end [we know] they are a huge competitor. We know it. We have faced many times with them and how in the tough moments they bring the best of them – we know it. Of course we have to make two good games to go through.”
City are preparing to go up against the most feared forward line in Europe in Jude Bellingham, Rodrygo, Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe.
The attacking quartet have scored 63 goals between them across all competitions already this season while City's backline has struggled without the protection of injured midfielder and Ballon d'Or winner Rodri.
And Guardiola is fully away of the size of the task awaiting his team. “It's impossible in 90/120/200 minutes to control these players,” he admitted.
“They are exceptional – how they combine, the runners, the ability one against one, how they keep the ball, all four are exceptional.
-
Kevin De Bruyne scores Manchester City's second goal in their 2-1 win against Leyton Orient in the FA Cup fourth round match at Gaughan Group Stadium on February 8, 2025. Getty Images -
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola argues with the fourth official. Reuters -
Substitute Kevin De Bruyne clips the ball past Josh Keeley in the Orient goal to score City's second goal. Reuters -
Rico Lewis takes a shot which deflects off teammate Abdukodir Khusanov [not pictured], resulting in City's first goal. Getty Images -
City's Abdukodir Khusanov, centre, celebrates with team-mates after scoring their first goal, albeit through a lucky deflection off his back. PA -
Leyton Orient's Jamie Donley celebrates after his strike led to City goalkeeper Stefan Ortega scoring a 16th-minute goal. Reuters -
Orient's Charlie Kelman sees an attempt on goal blocked by City keeper Stefan Ortega. Reuters -
Ilkay Gundogan misses a chance to score for Manchester City in the first half. Reuters -
City keeper Stefan Ortega scores an own goal after a long range shot from Jamie Donley of Leyton Orient hit the crossbar. Getty Images -
City goalkeeper Stefan Ortega looks on after his first-half own-goal at the Gaughan Group Stadium in London. PA
“Everybody knows it, so you have to reduce that involvement as much as possible, knowing that it's going to happen, accept it.”
During Saturday's FA Cup win at Leyton Orient – when City came back from a goal down to defeat the third-tier side – Guardiola was once again serenaded by opposition fans suggesting he was “getting sacked in the morning”.
The chant has become a familiar one at away grounds for the Spaniard during this season's struggles but he brushed off the suggestion that he might be fearing for his job.
“I don't have that feeling,” Guardiola said. “Obviously I am here, I am still here because of what we have won in previous seasons, if not I probably wouldn't be here but that's the relationship that we have.
“If things don't work we'll shake hands and move on, but I don't think I'm going to be thrown out on the street.”
