Guardiola: 'To say I'm afraid of Real is a lie'

Ahead of the Champions League quarter-final second leg, manager Pep Guardiola affirmed that Manchester City respects, but does not fear, Real Madrid.

Fate has brought Real Madrid and Manchester City together for the fourth time in the last five seasons, as the two teams previously competed in the Round of 16 in 2020, and the semi-finals in 2022 and 2023. Last season, Manchester City eliminated Real Madrid in the semi-finals, but lost to the Spanish side in 2022.

"I'm not afraid of them," Guardiola said in the pre-match press conference at the Etihad. "I have great respect for them, and I've faced them many times. I respect Real, and to say I'm afraid of them would be a lie. There's 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 has happened many times, we will send our congratulations."

Coach Guardiola kicks off the match for Real Madrid defender Dani Carvajal during the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final at the Bernabeu on April 9th. Photo: Reuters

The first leg of the quarter-final at the Bernabeu on April 9th ​​was exciting right from the opening whistle, with Bernardo Silva scoring from a free kick in the 2nd minute. Real then rallied and took the lead thanks to goals from Eduardo Camavinga and Rodrygo. In the second half, Man City regained the lead with Phil Foden and Josko Gvardiol both scoring from outside the box. In the 79th minute, Federico Valverde volleyed the ball into the far corner to equalize the score at 3-3.

According to Guardiola, Man City played well in the first leg, but will still change tactics to perform even better in the second leg. He also expressed confidence in his home advantage, stating 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's true that Man City feels more relaxed after winning the Champions League."

Man City won the Champions League, Premier League, and FA Cup in the 2022-2023 season, and are currently in contention for all three top titles this season. Man City are currently top of the Premier League table, two points ahead of Arsenal and Liverpool, and will face Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals and Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley on April 20th.

If they defend their Premier League title, Man City will become the first club to win the competition four times in a row. If they win both the FA Cup and the Champions League, Man City will make history as the first club to achieve a treble in two consecutive seasons.

"We are still very far from our hypothetical dreams," Guardiola continued cautiously when referring to the possibility of defending the treble. "As long as Man City reach the FA Cup final, the Champions League final, and are leading the Premier League with at least three points with three rounds remaining, then I will start thinking about this. We need to focus on each game. We want to extend our hopes of competing for the title week by week."

Meanwhile, Bernardo Silva believes the prospect of winning another treble is a huge motivation for Man City. "Obviously it's an inspiration," the 29-year-old midfielder stated. "We want to create a legacy, and winning the treble in two consecutive seasons would be a legacy. We are fighting for that, but we could also be knocked out of all competitions in the next week."

In their quest to win the Champions League for the first time last season, Man City overcame Real Madrid with a 5-1 aggregate score in the semi-finals. The Manchester club drew 1-1 in the first leg at the Bernabeu, then won convincingly 4-0 at home at the Etihad Stadium.

However, Silva insisted that Carlo Ancelotti's current squad is better than last season. "Two different seasons and it's never the same game in football again," the Portuguese midfielder said. "I feel Real are stronger than last season, based on what happened in the first leg. They certainly want revenge so this will be a difficult match."

Hong Duy

Source link: https://vnexpress.net/guardiola-noi-toi-so-real-la-doi-tra-4735659.html