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Pep Guardiola desires Manchester Metropolis to show they’re nonetheless a “particular” facet after they face Actual Madrid within the Champions League.
Metropolis should overcome Actual in a two-legged play-off tie to safe their place within the final 16 of the competitors after ending down in twenty second within the newly-revamped league section.
The truth is, the 2023 winners wanted a win over Membership Brugge of their last group sport to keep away from exiting the competitors altogether, whereas they’re additionally down in fifth within the Premier League throughout what has been a poor season to date.
Forward of Tuesday’s first leg on the Etihad, Guardiola mentioned: “The group stage, the knockout stage is at all times troublesome, we’ve got not executed fairly nicely within the group stage so we should be the place we’re. The draw is the draw and [we] settle for the problem.”
“We play the second sport away as a result of we weren’t adequate within the group stage. We didn’t deserve it [to go straight through to the last 16].
However the Metropolis boss insisted: “The crew, our crew, has one thing particular and hopefully tomorrow we are able to show it.
“I can’t deny how belief with the gamers who gave us that unbelievable decade, profitable numerous issues and enjoying a excessive commonplace, I do know what we’re able to.
“In fact, we’re going to put together at present with the crew, what we’re going to problem and hopefully we are able to carry out nicely.”
RUBEN 💬 Since I’ve been right here that is possibly essentially the most troublesome season to date, however I’m a agency believer that in essentially the most troublesome state of affairs, you’ll be able to nonetheless obtain one thing lovely. We all know it is going to be troublesome to get there however we’ve got to consider in what we’ve got within the… pic.twitter.com/FGYjROZ9AX
— Manchester Metropolis (@ManCity) February 10, 2025
Metropolis and Actual Madrid rivalry
The play-off tie would be the fourth consecutive season which Metropolis and Actual have drawn one another within the knockout levels of the Champions League, with all three of these earlier encounters coming within the semi-finals.
Their fixed battles, which has seen Actual progress twice and Metropolis as soon as on the best way to profitable the Treble in 2023, has led many to treat the encounter as one in every of soccer’s nice fashionable rivalries.
On that notion, Guardiola added: “When it comes to the final decade yeah, possibly, as a result of it’s not regular to play the identical rival on a regular basis.
“When it comes to historical past, Champions League, on the finish we can not examine to be trustworthy in opposition to Actual Madrid, Bayern Munich, Barcelona or AC Milan. This type of group.
“Within the final decade we’ve got been round. Within the final years, the draw, we play in opposition to them.”
Actual’s entrance 4 risk
Metropolis might be examined by a few of Europe’s deadliest attackers on Tuesday, with Actual boasting a stacked ahead line of Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, Jude Bellingham and Rodrygo.
“It’s not possible in 90/120/200 minutes to manage these gamers,” Guardiola mentioned.
“They’re distinctive how they mix, the runners, the flexibility one in opposition to one, how they preserve the ball, all 4 are distinctive.
“Everyone is aware of it, so it’s important to cut back that involvement as a lot as doable, understanding that it’s going to occur, settle for it.”
