Manchester City are holders, but Real Madrid’s kings must still be dethroned

Phil Foden of Manchester City scoring his team's second goal during their Champions League quarter-final first leg match against Real Madrid at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, on April 9th, 2024. Photograph: David Ramos/Getty ImagesWednesday, 8pm

This was some display against the 14-times record winners, who were billed by Bernardo Silva as the “kings of the competition” on the eve of the quarter-final second leg, the tie poised at 3-3 after last week’s blockbuster encounter. That was a contest of transitions, anathema to Guardiola’s wish for total control. Yet while he and Silva are aware of Madrid’s potency, the Portuguese points to the significance of the performance 11 months ago, in which he scored twice in the first 37 minutes.

“Now it is a different game, different teams, we have our signings and players that have left. Let’s see but we are very confident because we play at home against the kings of the competition.” As a former Barça captain and coach Guardiola has a storied history with Madrid. “It always has been and always will be big,” he says. “Real Madrid in this competition is always a big game. It’s special for me, as a player and manager. But this doesn’t count. What counts is what we have to do to win tomorrow.”

Routing Real last year was huge psychologically, but Guardiola wants no easing off. “We need to feel the pressure that you don’t want to lose the game. If you think we have done it already we will not have this piece of hunger to compete against these teams. It’s true that the fact we won it has made us feel better and more comfortable but we need the right energy.

Real-Madrid Champions-League

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