Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said that his team’s Champions League link with Real Madrid ‘feels like a derby’ thanks to the number of games that the teams have had against each other last seasons lesson.
City knew they would play real holders or Bayern Munich during the playoff round and their fate was decided during the draw on Friday morning.
Real eliminated City in the quarter -finals last season and the teams have played eight games since the 2020 -like -like -like – with City progressing in 2020 and 2023, and the real eliminated them in 2022 and last year.
KO phase playoffs are defined ✅#Ucldraw pic.twitter.com/9kwmsgqwod
– UEFA Champions League (@championsleague) January 31, 2025
“It already looks like a derby,” said Guardiola. “It’s four years in a row against Real Madrid.
“But Bayern or Madrid – both were really difficult. I hope we can arrive in the first step here, then in Madrid, as best as possible. »»
The exhausting calendar of City in February now sees them playing twice, Newcastle, Liverpool and Arsenal this Sunday.
Guardiola said that the Premier League teams have gone a difficult turn with the Champions League matches compared to other teams in the best European leagues.
“The diffusers decide”
He said: “The calendar is. In the Premier League, each team must play everyone. But normally in the Premier League, they have always put the most difficult times for the teams in Europe.
“The calendar is the most difficult because it is difficult to play against Real Madrid or Bayern Munich, but the problem is in the middle of Newcastle.
Pep 💬 (on Rodri) I always believe with long injuries, a time that you have to respect … the first month he was in Madrid all the time. Now it’s nice to have it here in the locker room. His voice is important … The most important thing for Rodri is now to recover well … from … pic.twitter.com/ilkhssmwks
– Manchester City (@Mancity) January 31, 2025
“We are not complaining because we have incredible success by playing this calendar.
“I remember when I was in Barcelona and I followed the Premier League and Alex Ferguson, Jose Mourinho and Arsene Wenger made the same complaints.
“Do you think it will change?” The broadcasters decide, they do not ask me what is best to play. »»
Arsenal finished as a finalist in City in each of the last two Premier League campaigns and Guardiola says that he has enormous respect for the work that his former assistant Mikel Arteta did with the Gunners.
He said: “Our relationship is exceptional. With him and his family, exceptional.
“Of course, we are not in contact now, he has his business and I mine and other games, but the respect we have is still there.”
