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Pep Guardiola has admitted Real Madrid’s front four of Kylian Mbappé, Jude Bellingham, Vinícius Júnior and Rodrygo will be impossible for Manchester City to control for the entirety of their Champions League playoff with the holders.
City host Real on Tuesday night in the opening leg before the return match at the Santiago Bernabéu next Wednesday. While Bellingham, Vinícius and Rodrygo all started the 2-0 final victory against Borussia Dortmund last year, with the latter two combining for Real’s second goal, Mbappé joined in the summer from Paris Saint-Germain and has scored 22 goals and provided three assists in all competitions already this season.
“It’s impossible for 90 minutes, 180 minutes or 200 minutes – depending on extra time – to control these four players. They are exceptional,” Guardiola said. “How they combine, their runs, the ability one-against-one, how they keep the ball. So we have to reduce their involvement as much as possible. Knowing that [they will be dangerous at some point] is going to happen, accept it.
“They have the courage to play. Of course, when Real decide to play long balls, they are good [too]. But after, [the four] have the ability – to always be present with the ball, it doesn’t matter if the opponents are close. They have the ability to keep it and make extra touches and extra passes. And when that happens, of course, they can run, they can combine the shortest passes with moments in behind.
“We know it’s going to happen. But at the same time, we are going to try to impose our game, and be smart – especially in the first leg – with the way you have to play. It’s important to read the tempo – we have to play to get a good result for the return at the Bernabéu.”
Guardiola went on to deny there is bad blood between City and Real Madrid after the Spanish club boycotted the Ballon d’Or ceremony in Paris last year in protest over Rodri winning the award over Vinícius. “Absolutely not,” the City manager insisted. “I was happy for Rodri. Vinícius had an extraordinary year as well. It’s like in the past when [Lionel] Messi and Cristiano [Ronaldo] were fighting for that. The subject is over.”
When asked if Real’s decision showed a lack of class, Rúben Dias echoed Guardiola’s stance. “Being very honest I didn’t spend one second thinking if it was disrespectful or not,” the defender said. “I was there, I celebrated with him, I was very happy for him. I didn’t spend my time thinking about it.”
Despite City’s uneven season, Dias believes they could still win the Champions League. “I’m a firm believer that in the most difficult scenario you can achieve something beautiful,” he said. “[But] it’s one of the toughest opponents in the Champions League. But we have loads of guns in the dressing room and we just have to use them the right way.”
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City have faced Real Madrid four times in the past five years at the knockout stage, progressing in August 2020 to the quarter finals and in May 2023 to the final. The quarter-final encounter last year was particularly close, with City being eliminated via a penalty shootout.
