Before the second leg of the Champions League quarter-finals, coach Pep Guardiola affirmed that Man City respects, but does not fear, Real Madrid.
Fate brought Real and Man City together for the fourth time in the last five seasons, when the two teams competed in the round of 16 in 2020, and the semi-finals in 2022 and 2023. Last season, Man City eliminated Real in the semi-finals, but lost to the Spanish representative in 2022.
"I'm not afraid of them," Guardiola said at his pre-match press conference at the Etihad. "I respect them a lot, and I played against them many times. I respect Real, and if I say I'm afraid of them, it would be a lie. There is competition, you want to beat them and play well. Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. But I'm not afraid, and if they beat me, as they have done many times, we will congratulate them."
Coach Guardiola hands the ball to Real defender Dani Carvajal during the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final at the Bernabeu on April 9. Photo: Reuters
The first leg of the quarter-final at the Bernabeu on April 9 was exciting right from the start, when Bernado Silva opened the scoring with a free kick in the 2nd minute. Real then rose up and took the lead thanks to Eduardo Camavinga and Rodrygo. In the second half, Man City regained the lead when Phil Foden and Josko Gvardiol both scored from outside the box. In the 79th minute, Federico Valverde volleyed diagonally to seal the score at 3-3.
According to Guardiola, Man City played well in the first leg, but will still change tactics to play better in the second leg. He is also confident with the home advantage, saying that "Man City feels protected and supported by the fans". He added: "We need to feel the pressure, the determination, the desire to compete. But it is true that Man City feels more comfortable after winning the Champions League".
Man City won the Champions League, Premier League, FA Cup in the 2022-23 season, and are in the battle for all three most prestigious titles this season. Man City is holding the top position in the Premier League and is two points ahead of Arsenal and Liverpool, facing Real in the quarter-finals of the Champions League and will face Chelsea in the semi-finals of the FA Cup at Wembley on April 20.
If they retain their Premier League title, City will become the first club to win the competition four times in a row. If they win both the FA Cup and Champions League, they will make history as the first club to win the treble in consecutive seasons.
"We are very far from the hypothetical dream," Guardiola continued, cautiously, when referring to the possibility of defending the treble. "As long as Man City are in the final of the FA Cup, the Champions League and leading the Premier League by at least three points with three games left, then I will start thinking about it. We need to focus on each game. We want to keep the title race going week by week."
Meanwhile, Bernardo Silva believes the prospect of winning the treble is a big boost for City. "It's obviously an inspiration," the 29-year-old said. "We want to create a legacy, and winning the treble in two consecutive seasons would be a legacy. We're fighting for it, but we could also be out of all competitions in a week's time."
Man City beat Real Madrid 5-1 on aggregate in the semi-finals on their way to winning the Champions League for the first time last season. The Manchester club drew 1-1 in the first leg at the Bernabeu before winning 4-0 at the Etihad.
However, Silva insists Carlo Ancelotti's current squad is better than last season. "It's two different seasons and that never happens in the same game in football again," the Portuguese midfielder said. "I feel Real are stronger than last season, with what happened in the first leg. They will definitely want revenge so it will be a difficult game."
Hong Duy
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