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Manchester Metropolis defender Ruben Dias stays optimistic about his group’s possibilities to win silverware regardless of going through what he describes as their “most tough” season.
Pep Guardiola’s squad will tackle reigning champions Actual Madrid within the first leg of their Champions League play-off on Tuesday.
This comes after Metropolis completed twenty second within the group stage, a setback they now hope to beat in opposition to the present holders.
A win over the 2 legs would safe a spot within the final 16, the place they might face both Atletico Madrid or Bayer Leverkusen.
Nonetheless, Metropolis have additionally encountered difficulties of their home marketing campaign, at the moment sitting fifth within the Premier League and trailing leaders Liverpool by 15 factors.
“This has been probably the most tough season since I’ve been right here however I’m a agency believer that even in probably the most tough moments, you possibly can nonetheless obtain one thing lovely,” mentioned Dias.
“I didn’t spend one second fascinated about if it was disrespectful” 🤷♂️
Ruben Dias was solely focussed on Rodri when he gained the Ballon d’Or 💪#BBCFootball pic.twitter.com/OUYvTmGc5t
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) February 10, 2025
“We all know how tough will probably be to get by way of however we now have a great deal of weapons within the dressing room. We simply have to make use of them in the correct means.”
This marks the fourth consecutive season – and the fifth in six years – that Metropolis and Madrid have clashed within the Champions League knockout rounds.
The Spanish giants secured victory by way of penalties in final season’s quarter-finals earlier than occurring to say their fifteenth European title underneath Carlo Ancelotti.
With each groups having gained two encounters every in earlier conferences, Guardiola has described their rivalry as one of the vital within the trendy Champions League period.
This upcoming match additionally comes within the aftermath of controversy, as Madrid’s gamers boycotted the Ballon d’Or ceremony in protest after Rodri was awarded the title of the world’s greatest participant over Vinicius Jr.
Metropolis reportedly considered Madrid’s absence as an indication of disrespect, however Dias, who was current in Paris alongside Rodri, downplayed any influence from the incident.
“Being sincere with you, I didn’t spend one second fascinated about it,” added the Portuguese defender.
“I used to be joyful for Rodri. Vinicius had a unprecedented yr and in addition deserved it. It’s like prior to now when [Lionel] Messi and Cristiano [Ronaldo] had been preventing for it.”
