Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has sent shockwaves through the football world ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League play-off clash against Real Madrid, admitting his side “do not deserve” to be in a stronger position after a woeful group stage performance.

In a surprising and candid pre-match press conference, Guardiola acknowledged City’s inconsistency this season, hinting that the reigning Premier League champions are vulnerable as they prepare to face the 14-time European kings at the Etihad.

“We play the second game away because we were not good in the group stage – when you finish 22nd you cannot ask for any favours,” Guardiola confessed. “In football you have to deserve it – we do not deserve it. We were not even close.”

Real Madrid fans will be thrilled to hear the City boss admit his team are struggling to find the stability that saw them achieve their historic Treble last season. Guardiola himself highlighted that the machine-like dominance of previous campaigns has broken down, leaving City exposed against Europe’s most successful club.

“We have not been stable this season. We achieved Trebles and quadruples and we see how difficult it is,” Guardiola admitted. “It is because we were a machine. Doesn’t matter what happened, we were there.”

While Guardiola still expressed faith in his players, there’s no hiding his concerns about injuries and selection headaches ahead of the showdown. “I still have doubts about the selection – we still have injuries. I am always optimistic and calm, but we will see what happens,” he added.

For Real Madrid, this is the perfect opportunity to exploit Manchester City’s uncertainty and prove, once again, that Los Blancos reign supreme on Europe’s biggest stage.