Guardiola believes Man City is cautious of a weaker Real Madrid

Real Madrid’s tendency to perform at their peak at difficult times is something Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola claimed his team was well aware of. The visitors’ defense was weakened by a series of injuries before to Tuesday’s Champions League playoff match.

In the new league-phase system, Real and City finished 11th and 22nd, respectively, and were forced to play a two-leg playoff, meaning they did not automatically proceed to the final 16 as one of the top eight teams in the Champions League standings.

The teams have faced off in four Champions League knockout matches since 2020 and will do so for the fourth year in a row.

Real Madrid, the league leaders, will be missing David Alaba, Antonio Rudiger, Eder Militao, and Dani Carvajal in Tuesday’s first leg of their playoff match at the Etihad.

“I believe that both clubs have experienced injury issues this season. Due of their continued dominance in the league and their ongoing battle with Atletico Madrid, Madrid handled it far better than we did,” Guardiola told reporters on Monday.

That demonstrates one again their constancy. They are ultimately fierce rivals. It is known to us.

“We have dealt with them several times, and we are aware of how they exhibit their greatest qualities during trying circumstances. Naturally, in order to proceed, we must create two excellent games.

Real Madrid has bolstered their already strong assault since their meeting last year by acquiring Kylian Mbappe, who is backed by Rodrygo, Jude Bellingham, and Vinicius Jr.

Real Madrid’s strikers are “exceptional,” Guardiola added, adding that it would be hard to keep them out.

Together, the runners, their one-on-one skills, and their ball-keeping abilities are all outstanding. Everyone is aware of it, therefore you should minimize your involvement as much as you can. Accept that it will happen.

“WONDERFUL THINGS”

City has had a difficult season on the field and is currently in fifth place in the Premier League, 15 points behind leaders Liverpool. All but eliminated is the possibility of a record-breaking fifth consecutive championship.

Although the season has been the most difficult for him since joining City in 2020, defender Ruben Dias, a Portuguese international, emphasized that he remains hopeful about the team’s prospects of winning the Champions League.

“I’m a firm believer that even in the most difficult scenario, most difficult beginning, you can still do something and achieve something beautiful in the end,” he told the media.

“At the moment, we remain in that state. It goes without saying that we are aware of how formidable our opponents are and how difficult our path will be to overcome.

Nevertheless, it comes down to having faith in the ability we possess in the locker room. We only need to make the proper use of them. We are capable of anything if we have the correct beliefs.