The first leg of the Champions League play-off round between Manchester City and Real Madrid will take place, and only one of the two teams will advance to the round of 16 of the competition.
Pep Guardiola urged the players of Manchester City to salvage their miserable season by removing Real Madrid from the Champions League. Real Madrid was eliminated from the competition.
Guardiola is aware that the play-off match between City and Real Madrid will determine whether or not the most turbulent season in the club’s unprecedented era of success continues under the direction of the 54-year-old Spaniard.
They will be able to set their sights on winning a second Champions League title if they are successful. If they happen to lose, the only things they will have left to compete for this season are the FA Cup and a spot in the top four.
Guardiola acknowledged that both City and Real have not performed well in Europe this season. As a result, the European champions from the previous two years will be meeting to determine which team will advance to the next round and which will be eliminated. Additionally, prior to the most important match of the season for City, Guardiola admitted that he does not know which version of his team will be present until the whistle blows and the game begins.
“We have not been consistent,” Guardiola admitted prior to the first leg of the match, which will take place on Tuesday at the Etihad Stadium. If we hadn’t been such an incredible machine every three days, we wouldn’t have been able to win six Premier Leagues in seven years or the incredible trophies that we have won. This is what has served as the defining characteristic of the team over the past ten years.
There is a possibility that we will lose because our opponents are strong, but we have not been consistent. Although it is possible for us to perform well both here and in Madrid, I cannot guarantee that this will occur because I do not know how we will react. However, it is possible that we will perform well in both places.
“Before the game, you know absolutely nothing about what is going to take place or how they will respond. When it comes to the players, however, you frequently get the impression that they are always present. At the moment, we are dealing with a significant number of injuries, and the players are experiencing some degree of fluctuation. On the other hand, I have a strong suspicion that the players are looking forward to the game.
“We’ve conceded a lot of goals, and we’ve always been a team that doesn’t concede much,” Guardiola continued. “We’ve seen a lot of goals conceded to us.” “However, at the same time, I will not deny that trust with the players who have provided us with an incredible decade, playing at the high standard that I am aware we are capable of. So, we are going to get ready, have a conversation with the team, and hopefully we will be able to perform well.
Without a doubt, it will be significant if we are able to make it through. We will continue to participate in the competition and will proceed to the next round.
In the group stage, we did not even come close to achieving the required number of points. So this is exactly what we deserved. However, our group possesses something unique, and we are hopeful that we will be able to demonstrate it.
In a Champions League knockout scenario, this is the fifth time in the past six seasons that City, which is currently in fifth place in the Premier League, has faced Real. Both teams have advanced through the knockout stage twice, with Real advancing through at the expense of City. After admitting that it is impossible to completely eliminate Real Madrid’s formidable attacking quartet consisting of Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Jr., and Rodrygo, Guardiola asserted that City is capable of controlling their threat and imposing themselves on the team that is currently in first place in La Liga.
According to Guardiola, “each and every one of them is remarkable.” “It is widespread knowledge. As a result, we need to minimise their participation as much as we possibly can. Recognising that it is going to occur and being willing to accept it.
“At the same time, we are going to make an effort to impose our game, being as involved with the ball as possible and being as intelligent as possible, particularly in the first leg of the match. It is essential to have a good understanding of the tempo, as we need to perform well in order to bring a positive outcome to the Bernabeu.
