Manchester City take on Real Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League play-off round and only one of the two teams will make it through to the round of 16
Pep Guardiola called on his Manchester City players to save their miserable season by knocking Real Madrid out of the Champions League.
Guardiola knows City’s play-off tie with Real will make or break the most turbulent season in their unprecedented era of success under the 54-year-old Spaniard.
Win and they can set their sights on winning a second Champions League crown. Lose and all they will have left to play for this season is the FA Cup and a top-four place.
Guardiola acknowledged City and Real have fallen short in Europe this season, which is why the winners of the past two years are meeting to decide which side progresses and which goes out. And ahead of the biggest game of City’s season, Guardiola conceded he does not know which version of his side will turn up until the whistle blows and the game gets under way.
“We’ve not been consistent,” admitted Guardiola, ahead of Tuesday’s first leg at the Etihad Stadium. “What’s defined the team over the last decade is that we’ve been an incredible machine every three days, otherwise we couldn’t win six Premier Leagues in seven years or the incredible trophies we have won.
“We can lose because the opponents are good, but we’ve not been consistent. Of course we can perform well here and of course we can perform well in Madrid, but before I can tell you that will happen, I don’t know how we’ll react.
“You never know before the game what’s going to happen, how they will react. But always you have a feeling with the players, that they are always there. Now we have a lot of injuries and the players are a little bit up and down. But I’m pretty sure the players are looking forward to the game.”
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“We’ve conceded a lot of goals and always we’ve been a team that doesn’t concede much,” Guardiola continued. “But at the same time I won’t deny that trust with the players who have given us an incredible decade, playing at the high standard I know we’re capable of. So we’re going to prepare, talk with the team and hopefully we can perform well.
“Of course it will be important if we can get through. We will still be in the competition and play in the next round.
“We didn’t get enough points in the group stage, not even close. So it’s what we deserved. But our team has something special and hopefully we can prove it.”
This is the fifth time in six seasons City – currently fifth in the Premier League – have faced Real in a Champions League knockout scenario, with both sides going through twice at the expense of the other. Guardiola admitted it is impossible to completely nullify Real’s formidable attacking quartet of Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo, but claimed City can control their threat and impose themselves on the La Liga leaders.
“All four, they are exceptional,” said Guardiola. “Everybody knows it. So we have to reduce their involvement as much as possible. Knowing that is going to happen and accepting it.
“At the same time we’re going to try to impose our game, to be involved as much as possible with the ball and be smart, especially in the first leg. It’s important to read the tempo, because we have to play well to take a good result to the Bernabeu.”
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