‘Beating Real Madrid twice in a row is impossible’ - Pep Guardiola ahead of UCL clash
i

Man City face an in-form Real Madrid team, and Pep Guardiola expects this game to be very tough |Photo Credit: Imago

‘Beating Real Madrid twice in a row is impossible’ - Pep Guardiola ahead of UCL clash

Asukwo Oduo 09:14 - 09.04.2024

The former Barcelona tactician is of the opinion that his Manchester City side will have it all to do against a Real Madrid team that would be seeking revenge.

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has stated that his side face a daunting task when they come face-to-face with La Liga giants Real Madrid.

Recall that the Cityzens knocked out Carlo Ancelotti’s men last season in an emphatic style (5-1 on aggregate) on their way to lifting the UEFA Champions League trophy for the first time in their history.

Pep Guardiola rallied his troops to a convincing 4-0 demolition of Real Madrid in the semi-final second leg at the Etihad after playing out a goalless draw at the Bernabéu.

The defeat was a big blow to serial winners Real Madrid, who are on a quest to lift the Champions League for the fifteenth time in their illustrious history.

Both sides now face off again - this time in the quarter-final of the same competition and Pep Guardiola would be hoping to defend his title.

var widgetLoaderConfig = widgetLoaderConfig || { CDN_URL: 'https://widgets.sportal365.com', APP_LINK: 'desktop', API_URL: 'https://africa.football.api.sportal365.com/', API_KEY: '2f852b4de2f3a5cf3188e74b33087bb4:2c18422f8e826a7d11aeed52edb2449e', LANG: 'en', REQUEST_INTERVAL: 30, ENABLE_BET_SLIP: false, AUTHOR: false, THEME: "light", TOURNAMENT_ORDER: "pulse_nigeria", LINK_OPTIONS_V2: { 'player' : { 'url': '/football/player/{playerId}' }, 'team' : { 'url': '/football/{teamId}' }, 'tournament': { 'url': '/football/competition/{tournamentId}' }, 'match': { 'url' : '/football/match/{matchId}', 'sort': { 'criteria': 'alphabetically', 'direction': 'asc' } }, 'configuration': { 'newWindow': false }, 'standings_tournament': { 'url': '/football/competition/{tournamentId}/standings' } } }; if (!document.querySelector('script[src="https://widgets.sportal365.com/loader.bundle.min.js"]')) { window.setTimeout(function () { let scriptCss = document.createElement('link'); scriptCss.href = 'https://www.pulsesports.ug/css/sport-widgets.css?v=1668785443'; scriptCss.rel = 'stylesheet'; scriptCss.type = 'text/css'; document.body.appendChild(scriptCss); let scriptTag = document.createElement('script'); scriptTag.src = 'https://widgets.sportal365.com/loader.bundle.min.js'; scriptTag.defer = true; scriptTag.onload = function () { window.setTimeout(function () { new SMPWidgetsLoader(widgetLoaderConfig); }, 200); }; document.head.appendChild(scriptTag); }, 0); } else { new SMPWidgetsLoader(widgetLoaderConfig); }

Real Madrid will be out for revenge

Speaking ahead of the clash, 53-year-old Guardiola says he doesn’t expect the same occurrence that happened last time out to take place again. 

He added that Real Madrid would be out for revenge. Guardiola said:

"It is very difficult for the same thing to happen again. Beating Real Madrid twice in a row is impossible. They have learned and will want revenge. They have pride."

Meanwhile, Carlo Ancelotti wants his side to show courage and personality - two qualities he felt his side lacked in the encounter last season.

Real Madrid Vs Manchester City is always a mouthwatering tie. While the statement by Pep Guardiola would be seen as playing mind games, it is expected that Real Madrid would have learnt from the heavy defeat they suffered last season and put up a fight. It’s anyone’s game.