Champions League: Pep Guardiola asks Man City players to enjoy clash against Real Madrid

Manchester City takes on Real Madrid in the semis opening leg of the UEFA Champions League 2021-22 on Tuesday. City manager Pep Guardiola has asked his boys to enjoy the game.

Image credit: Getty

A thrilling contest happens to be on the cards as English champion Manchester City takes on Spanish champion Real Madrid in the opening leg of the 2021-22 UEFA Champions League (UCL) semis. It will take place at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester on Tuesday, as the hosts will look to make the most of the home advantage. However, City head coach Pep Guardiola is not getting his hopes high.

Guardiola is confident of his side putting on a show against Madrid, while he feels that it could be City’s once in a lifetime chance to knock the record winner out of the tournament. “We have to be so precise against them. I said to the players: ‘Enjoy it, prepare for the game. Nobody knows it could be once in a lifetime [experience]. There is no sense in not enjoying it. We want to be ourselves,” he said during the pre-match press conference.

Speaking on his team strategy against Madrid, Guardiola reckoned, “The history is there. We cannot change it. But it’s 11 v 11. The players will decide this. We are playing a team that has been here many times, that’s why they have this history, and we don’t. We can’t imagine what will happen, but it’s 11 v 11. So, it is about how the players move and how strong they are mentally that will make the difference. Carlo and I won’t win it. The players will.”

Guardiola asserted that if City feels, everyone in the team suffers together. However, he does not wish to compete with the history, as Madrid would be the outright favourites to win considering that. Also, he reminded all that the situation would have been the same for City if it was Barcelona or Bayern Munich.