How do you prepare to overturn a massive deficit against Real Madrid? Take the day off

By Canadian Press on March 16, 2026.

How do you prepare to overturn a 3-0 deficit to the mighty Real Madrid in the Champions League?

If you are Pep Guardiola, you give your players the day off.

“The players are at home with their families today. And then they’ll send each other WhatsApp messages, I imagine, and tomorrow we’ll see each other,” the Manchester City manager said Monday, the day before he leads his team into the second leg of their round-of-16 matchup against the record 15-time European champions.

Indeed, Guardiola gave off a relaxed air as he talked about the “massive” task facing City on Tuesday after its implosion in the first leg in Madrid last week, when Federico Valverde scored a brilliant first-half hat trick.

“I don’t have a specific plan, apart from to just try,” Guardiola said.

“It will have to be,” he added, “a perfect game in many, many departments — with our people, the referee decisions. Many, many things have to be so good.”

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Steve Douglas, The Associated Press