Guardiola Urges Smart Play as City Prepares for Real Madrid Clash
Ahead of their crucial first-leg clash at the Etihad, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has urged his players to be “smart” as they prepare to face Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu.
Guardiola is well aware of the firepower in Real Madrid’s attack, led by Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior, and Rodrygo. He acknowledges that stopping them completely is nearly impossible but emphasizes the need to limit their influence to have a chance at victory. With the Champions League playoff tie on the line, Guardiola’s focus is on containing Madrid’s attacking threat.
Vinícius, Rodrygo, and Jude Bellingham were already key players for Madrid before this season, and the addition of Mbappé from PSG has only strengthened their frontline. Though it took the French World Cup winner some time to settle at Madrid, he is now in top form heading into this crucial matchup.
City will host Madrid at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday for the first leg of the playoff. In his pre-match press conference, Guardiola shared his thoughts on Madrid’s attacking prowess.
“Whether it’s 90 minutes, 180 minutes, or however long the battle lasts, controlling their attack is impossible. Everyone knows they are extraordinary. Our goal is to involve them in the game as little as possible, but they will still have their moments, and we must accept that. To get a good result for the Bernabéu leg, we need to be smart and understand the rhythm of the game.”
Both City and Madrid failed to qualify directly for the Champions League Round of 16 in this new format. Now, only one of them will advance through the two-legged playoff.
The two teams have a recent history of thrilling knockout clashes in the Champions League. They have faced off in each of the last three seasons, with Real Madrid winning last year’s quarter-final on penalties after a 4-4 aggregate draw. Madrid then went on to win their record-extending 15th Champions League title.
In the upcoming match, Real Madrid will be without key defenders Dani Carvajal, David Alaba, Éder Militão, and Antonio Rüdiger due to injuries. City, too, has struggled with injuries throughout the season, but Guardiola believes Madrid has handled their setbacks better.
“I think both teams have had injury problems throughout the season. But Madrid has managed it much better than we have, as they are still leading the league and competing with Atlético Madrid. That speaks to their consistency. They are a top competitor, and we know that.”
“We have faced them many times. We know how they step up in difficult moments. We must play two strong games to stand a chance.”
City, the reigning Premier League champions, have had a tough domestic campaign. They currently sit fifth in the table, trailing league leaders Liverpool by 15 points.
Defender Rúben Dias admitted that this has been his toughest season at City but remains optimistic about achieving success.
“This is the hardest season since I joined City. But I firmly believe that even in the toughest moments, we can still achieve something great.”
