Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said Tuesday his Manchester City counterpart Pep Guardiola was deliberately underestimating the English side's hopes of reaching the Champions League last 16.
European champions Real hold a 3-2 lead on City, who have struggled this season and are fourth in the Premier League, ahead of the play-off round second leg Wednesday at Santiago Bernabeu.
After thrashing Newcastle United 4-0 Saturday, Guardiola said English champions City have only a 1% chance of ousting the record 15-time European Cup winners.
"He does not truly think that, I'll ask him before the game - do you really think you've got a 1% chance?" Ancelotti told a news conference.
"He really thinks they've got more chance than that...we don't think we have 99% chance.
"We think we have a small advantage that we have to take advantage of, and try to play the same game we set up in the first leg, which went well."
Ancelotti confirmed defender Antonio Rudiger was fit to start for the holders after injury but Lucas Vazquez would only be ready for the bench.
The coach reiterated his frustration with Spanish refereeing, following some controversial decisions which went against his side in recent LaLiga matches.
Ancelotti said he was more comfortable with refereeing in the Champions League.
"Statistics speak for themselves, in Europe there's less controversy in this sense, there are less Video Assistant Referee interventions," said Ancelotti.
"The VAR only intervenes when it's necessary, and usually the Champions League features the best referees from each country, so the quality is very high in this sense."
England international Jude Bellingham was sent off for dissent during Real's 1-1 draw at Osasuna Saturday in LaLiga.
Bellingham's team-mate Federico Valverde said he did not want the midfielder to change his ways.
"What I want is players who leave their soul out on the pitch, in this case with Jude in the last game, I always want him to be like that," Valverde told reporters.
"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."