MADRID, April 9 — Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola said yesterday it will be “nearly impossible” to repeat their thrashing of Real Madrid last season in their Champions League quarter-final duel.

City hammered record 14-time winners Madrid 5-1 on aggregate in last season’s semi-finals on the way to the trophy but Guardiola said ahead of today’s first-leg clash at the Santiago Bernabeu he could not expect his team to repeat the feat.