Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola and Ruben Dias on Real Madrid clash – ‘It’s been key for Real Madrid’ | OneFootball

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has explained that he feels defensive discipline has been one of the keys to Real Madrid’s success in recent years, and expects to see similar against them in their Champions League play-off. Last year Los Blancos held out for a 1-1 draw before winning on penalties in the Champions League at the Etihad, but both sides now look vastly different.

Guardiola is still dealing with a number of injuries, but said that Real Madrid had coped better with theirs this season. On Monday, new signing Nico Gonzalez trained normally, having come off injured at the weekend.

“I know the gameplan tomorrow, I know the way I want to play. I still have doubts over the line-up because we still have injuries and people coming back but I am always optimistic and calm.”

The key differences for Real Madrid are the loss of Toni Kroos and arrival of Kylian Mbappe, adding to an already impressive frontline. Guardiola said he would try to limit their supply.

“It is impossible in 90 minutes or 180 to control those players. Everyone knows them, I am not going to say anything new. How they combine, how they lose their man… they are exceptional players. We have to try to reduce the time in which they come into contact with the ball. They have the ability to do everything, so we will try to impose our game and try to be intelligent in the first game. We will try to read the moment to get a good result for the Bernabeu.”

Photo by Diario Sport

One of the ongoing debates in the Spanish capital has been whether all of Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, Jude Bellingham and Rodrygo Goes can coexist without the ball. The Manchester City coach explained they should as much against Atletico Madrid.

“In modern football, if those up front do not apply themselves, it is much more difficult. Against Atletico it was seen that they can sacrifice themselves for the team, the talent in Madrid has always been there. Last year they defended everything… and here they did not let us even get close. They were very disciplined. I think it’s been key for Real Madrid, and we’ve seen it recent years, and we have not been so disciplined this year.”

Guardiola was asked by the Madrid-based press whether he felt as if he were coaching for his job, and he renewed the spiky relations with same outlets.

“No, I don’t have that feeling. I don’t know if they tell a doctor, an architect or a professor if their position is at stake. I know that at every ground they sing it at me, but I know that I don’t have my place at stake. After so many years winning, we have earned credit, if it wasn’t for that, I probably wouldn’t be here. Today I think that, but maybe tomorrow they throw me out on the street. Maybe that’s what you [the media] want but I don’t have that feeling.”

Meanwhile Ruben Dias was the player that City put up for the press conference, and he noted that he did not see a rivalry between Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe, and also asked his teammates to step up in the absence of Kyle Walker, who has done battle with Vinicius Junior in recent years.

“Last year was frustrating because we ended up dominating the entire game, but we couldn’t score the goal. This is the competition, a team with a different game complicates things for us. We have to control it more than ever because that’s how you win, it’s our way,” Dias told Marca.

Dias was not buying the idea that Real Madrid’s numerous injuries in defence could weaken them sufficiently to give Manchester City an edge.

“The first mistake we can make is to relax and think that we can have this advantage. We have to be at the necessary level without thinking about how the opponent is. To get to our level, look for balance in the game and things will come from there. We must not think that they are weak for whatever reason.”