Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has openly admitted his team faces a near-impossible mission after Real Madrid hammered them 3-0 in their latest European clash.

The defeat, powered by a stunning hat-trick from Federico Valverde on Wednesday night, leaves the Premier League champions staring at a huge deficit ahead of the second leg at the Etihad Stadium.

Speaking after the game, Guardiola acknowledged the magnitude of the setback while insisting his players will still attempt a comeback.

“I don’t think we have much chance, but I have to say, of course, we’re going to try,” he said. “We’ll be there with our people, and we’ll do our best to be more active in the final third. Obviously, 3-0 is better than four. It’s a tough result, and we cannot deny it.”

The Spanish coach also hailed Madrid’s quality, singling out Valverde for controlling the game with a commanding performance.

Guardiola said his team would now focus on recovery and preparation ahead of the decisive return leg.

“We have six days, we recover, and we will try again,” he added.

Despite the heavy scoreline, Guardiola insisted the performance did not fully reflect the result.

“I had a feeling that we were better than the result said… but the result is here. We have one week, and then we will see them at the Etihad,” he said.

The City boss also urged fans to believe in football’s unpredictability ahead of the return fixture.

“Now we recover mentally and physically and go to West Ham,” he said. “Then we will see. We will be with our people, I’m pretty sure they will come, and in football, you never know. We will try.”

The 2023 Champions League winners must now produce an extraordinary performance at home to overturn the three-goal deficit.