Category sport-news

Carlo Ancelotti, the coach for Real Madrid, claimed on Tuesday that Pep Guardiola’s teammate Pep Guardiola had purposefully underappreciated the English team’s chances of making it to the Champions League last 16.

Before the play-off round second leg on Wednesday at the Santiago Bernabeu, European champions Madrid are 3-2 ahead of City, who have struggled this season and are fourth in the Premier League.

After beating Newcastle 4-0 on Saturday, Guardiola claimed City, the reigning champion of England, only had a one-percent chance of defeating the record-eighteen European Cup winners.

Do you really believe you have a one-percent chance of winning the game? He doesn’t really believe that. I’ll ask him that question before the game tomorrow. 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 believe we have a small advantage to exploit and will work together to play the same game as we did in the first game, which turned out well.

READ ALSO: &nbsp,]UCL] Guardiola Says Man City Have ‘ One Per Cent ‘ Chance At Real Madrid

Antonio Rudiger, a defender, was already injured, but coach Angelotti said Lucas Vazquez would start only on the bench.

Following some contentious decisions that were made against his team in recent La Liga matches, the coach expressed his frustration with Spanish refereeing.

Ancelotti said he felt more at ease using Champions League refereeing.

” Statistics speak for themselves, in Europe there’s less controversy in this sense, there are less VAR interventions, “said Ancelotti.

The VAR only intervenes when necessary, and the quality of the referees in the Champions League is typically very high.

During Madrid’s 1-1 draw at Osasuna on Saturday, England international Jude Bellingham was shown a yellow card for dissention.

Bellingham’s team-mate Federico Valverde said he did not want the midfielder to change his ways.

Valverde told reporters, “I always want him to be like that, and I want players who leave their souls out on the pitch,” Valverde continued.

” Jude is a player who shows character, who always wants to win, who always wants to fight.

“This time he got a red card, but I like that he’s giving everything, his spikiness… we have to stay united as a team”.

Pep Guardiola, the manager of Manchester City, stated that his side only had a one percent chance of making it to the Champions League last 16 against Real Madrid on Wednesday. However, the English champions’ new recruits could provide a lifeline.

City blew a late 2-1 lead in the first leg of the play-off tie last week at home to lose 3-2 to the holders.

This season’s slump was just one more example of how Guardiola’s aging squad struggled to maintain the pace, especially when the intensity is high on Champions League nights.

As a consequence, City broke with their usual transfer policy to spend big in January, bringing in Omar Marmoush, Abdukodir Khusanov, Vitor Reis and Nico Gonzalez for fees totalling £170 million ($214 million).

However, none of them started the first leg against Madrid. Due to Gonzalez and Khusanov being unreserved substitutes and Reis not being listed in City’s European squad, Marmoush was the only player to even feature for the final few minutes off the bench.

After Marmoush, Gonzalez, and Khusanov all contributed to City’s most notable performance of the season on Saturday when Newcastle were beaten 4-1 at the Etihad, Guardiola may now regret making that choice.

Marmoush’s hat-trick in the first half earned him acclaim, giving City another potent scoring threat in addition to Erling Haaland.

Khusanov made a nightmare Premier League debut against Chelsea last month, winning the match with a goal inside three minutes and facing possible dismissal shortly after.

This time the Uzbek showed why City paid Lens a reported 40 million euros (£33 million, $42 million) for his services.

The 20-year-old’s pace helped identify Alexander Isak’s threat to Newcastle and could provide the visitors with a solution to the Santiago Bernabeu’s threat of Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, and Rodrygo.

Guardiola, however, paid particular tribute to Gonzalez’ impact, which gave the City midfield the stability they needed after Rodri suffered a serious knee injury in September.

The 23-year-old has already been hailed as a “mini Rodri” by his manager, who claims to know the Barcelona graduate from his first year of school.

READ ALSO:]UCL] Guardiola Says Man City Have ‘ One Per Cent ‘ Chance At Real Madrid

Gonzalez a game changer&nbsp,

With Gonzalez on the field, the team’s balance is already much better, according to former City defender Micah Richards.

“City has players who can hurt Real, but he brings some stability with them, which they will need if they are going to manage the game in Madrid.”

Do they have a better chance of defeating Real with him in the first eleven? Without a doubt. “

City have frequently found the might of Madrid too difficult a nut to crack in the Champions League, even at their best during Guardiola’s golden years as manager in Manchester.

The teams have met for the fourth time in a row, and City’s only defeat came in 2023 when they won the competition.

Three years prior, they had a two-goal lead going into the Paris final, but Rodrygo’s quickfire double resulted in extra-time and Madrid winning their 14th European crown.

After City dominated the quarter-finals with two score draws, penalties were the ones that allowed the Spanish giants to win.

Guardiola acknowledged that it was unlikely for his team to return to their best when they needed it the most.

” This season the reality is we have been miles, miles away. If you tell me that we would perform like today (against Newcastle) and finish 22nd in the Champions League (table), of course not. We would finish higher, “said the former Barcelona boss.

” The results have been poor this season. I won’t alter my opinion if I only watch one game.

We have one percent, but as much as we have a chance, we will try,” said the statement before the game. That’s for sure”.

However, a timely injection of fresh blood does support Madrid’s potential miracle.

On Monday, the Katsina government reiterated its commitment to support all state-run sports.

It provided assurance that the government was ready to support the development of young people’s God-given talents in order to realize their goals.

Faruk Jobe, the deputy governor of Katsina, made known during a visit to the Government House in Katsina that he had been given the invitation to visit Tabic Sports Agency of Canada and Bondy Academy of France.

Their visit came on the heels of a Monday scouting event that was held to give young footballers in the state, mostly under 16 and under 18, the chance to showcase their skills to foreign scouts.

READ ALSO: &nbsp,]UCL] Guardiola Says Man City Have ‘ One Per Cent ‘ Chance At Real Madrid

Participating teams include: the Katsina Football Academy, Katsina United Junior Team, Musa Haro Football Academy Daura, Bakori Football Academy, Nexus Football Academy, Kano as well as AK Football Academy, Kaduna.

The three-day event, titled “Dikko Radda Football Scouting Tournament,” attracted the participation of Lagos State FA Chairman Hajji Gaffar, Lagos State FA Chairman, and partners from Bondy Academy in France and Tabic Sports Agency in Canada.

The tournament, according to Ahmad Muhammad, the chairman of the Katsina Football Academy, started on Saturday and ended on Monday in what was referred to as the final round.

Muhammad explained that 168 players from different Katsina State regions have been chosen to showcase their skills in front of these professionals, who will evaluate the best talents to enable them to pursue their goals in Europe.

Dikko Radda thanked the State Governor for providing the academy with the utmost financial and physical support to ensure a successful outcome, but he also urged players to continue to work hard and consider this a fantastic opportunity.

To achieve their goals, he advised them to avoid drugs and antisocial behavior.

Football is a tool for both your own and your entire family, as well as a community, because it is not just a game today. Besides football, we also teach players mathematics, English, and ICT”,&nbsp, Muhammad noted.

Eight local football teams took part in the recently concluded scouting tournament, which was hosted and supported by the Katsina Government, according to the state’s Commissioner for Sports and Youth Development Aliyu Shargalle during a press briefing held in the Katsina Government House’s Council Chamber.