Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti has laid down a marker to their Champions League rivals by saying whoever wins their play-off tie with Manchester City will lift the trophy in May.
This is the fourth year in a row Real and City have met at Europe’s top table, with Real emerging victorious twice and Man City the other – leading Ancelotti to dub their rivalry a new ‘Clasico’ ahead of their latest clash.
In all three of those previous meetings, the victor has gone on to win the Champions League trophy – in Man City’s case, for the first time in their history back in 2023.
Both sides find themselves in indifferent form on the continent this season, with City less than half an hour away from dropping out of the competition altogether in the league phase before finally seeing off Club Brugge in their final group game.
Surprise Real defeats in Lille and at home to AC Milan saw them finish a point off the automatic last-16 qualification spots and also drop into the play-off round.
Unlike City, Ancelotti’s side have largely kept up their domestic form and lead the LaLiga table by a point, despite another shock loss at Espanyol at the start of the month.
Even with both team’s stuttering Champions League form to this point – and City’s Premier League struggles – Ancelotti tipped the winner of their latest meeting to go all the way again ahead of the first leg at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday night.
“It is always a headache to face Manchester City,” he said.
“It will be a difficult game, hard to predict. It will depend a lot on the attitude and confidence of the teams. It’s such a high-level game you have to be at your best in every aspect.
“It seems like it’s a ‘Clasico’ because we have played each other a lot of times in this competition. It’s the most difficult game we can face, regardless of form.
“They are one of the best teams in Europe and they have the best manager out there. It’s a nightmare preparing for games against him because he always has ideas that make you think.
“I am convinced the team that goes through from this tie will go on to win the competition.”
Pep: We still have something special to give
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Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola believes Real Madrid’s front four are ‘impossible’ to stop
Guardiola has been downbeat on his team at times this season, little wonder given their run of one win in 13 games in all competitions from the end of October to Boxing Day, but came out fighting ahead of Tuesday’s game in defence of his still recovering side.
City are unbeaten at home in the Champions League this season but have not had everything their own way at the Etihad, losing to Man Utd and Spurs in the Premier League before Christmas – prior to the arrival of four players for a combined £176m in January.
“We are where we are, and I know perfectly but the team has something special and hopefully we can prove it,” Guardiola said.
“I will not deny how I trust with the players who gave us that incredible decade, winning a lot of things and playing a high standard, I know what we are capable of.
“To be honest it is always better to have a second leg at home in case you have extra time with your people. We play the second game away because we were not good in the group stage – when you finish 22nd you cannot ask for any favours.
“In football you have to deserve it – we do not deserve it. We were not even close. That’s why when the draw was either Bayern Munich or Real Madrid, I thought that is what we deserve.”
