It will be the clash of the titans tomorrow night at the Santiago Bernabeu as Real Madrid lock horns with Manchester City in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16.

The Merengues suffered a 1-2 loss to the Cityzens earlier this season in the league phase at home and will be aiming for revenge tomorrow.

The tie will pose a huge challenge for Alvaro Arbeloa, who is in the infancy of his managerial career, having taken over as first-team coach in January from Xabi Alonso.

Talking to the media at the pre-match press conference, the Real Madrid manager acknowledged that the match will not be easy and that his players will need the fans’ support.

“It’s a tough one… one where we need the fans. We’ll be highly motivated. The Champions League is very special for us,” he said.

Arbeloa was then asked for an update on the condition of superstar forward Kylian Mbappe, who will not be playing tomorrow due to a knee injury.

“He’s much better, but we have to take it one day at a time. He’s come back feeling great. And we’ll take it one step at a time,” the manager confirmed.

Soon after taking over, Arbeloa had stated that Real Madrid were favourites in every competition they play. Whether he still stood by his comments two months into his stint, he replied:

“If I said it, I mean it. We shouldn’t feel inferior to anyone. We know how difficult this tie is going to be, but we’re going to face it with great enthusiasm. Looking them in the eye.”

Arbeloa was asked for clarification on his post-match comments after the Celta Vigo claim where he said “I’m happy for those who wanted to come” and whether it was directed at a certain player. In response, he said:

“That doesn’t mean anyone didn’t want to come, no. I wanted to acknowledge those who made a tremendous effort to be there. To go out on the field and perform the way they did. That’s all I said.

“The interpretation… that’s up to you. No player who wasn’t in Vigo was there because they didn’t want to come.”

Talking about the challenges of facing Pep Guardiola, Arbeloa admitted: “He always has a surprise up his sleeve. No matter how many times you watch his teams, you know there’s always something in store.

“You have to be prepared for the many variations that might appear. I’d be very surprised if there wasn’t some new formation or new player. He always tends to overthink his tactics.”

On whether it motivates him to face a Guardiola team, he added: “It’s exciting to experience a Champions League round of 16 tie; to experience a night like tomorrow. It’s incredibly motivating. It will be a great experience. I’m really looking forward to it.”

On being asked for his opinion on the words of former Barcelona president and current presidential candidate Joan Laporta against Real Madrid, Arbeloa took a sly dig, saying:

“Who said that? (Laporta) Oh, yes, candidate Laporta! I think he was the one who quadrupled the payments to Negreira. So there’s not much more to say.”

With no Kylian Mbappe, a lot will be riding on Vinicius Jr. and his performance tomorrow night. Acknowledging the Brazilian’s importance, Arbeloa stated:

“I expected this question from you. Whoever is on the pitch will be important. And Vinicius, too. We’ve had a lot of injuries and he’s taking on a huge amount of responsibility.

“He’s our main attacking threat, as you’d expect. And we need him at his best if we want to knock Manchester City out.”

Providing an update on the condition of Eduardo Camavinga, he added: “Much better, he’s had a terrible week. We say here ‘worse than a toothache’. But he’s been back with the group since Saturday and he’s perfectly fine for tomorrow.”

Talking about his personal growth and how he has changed in the two months he has been in charge at Real Madrid, Arbeloa said:

“Differences… I don’t think there are any. You simply gain experience. But I believe I’m the same person, even though I’ve been coaching Real Madrid for two months, which is like a masterclass.

“A huge learning experience. I’m going to enjoy every day I’m here until the end.”

On being asked if tomorrow’s game was one for youthful exuberance or experience hands, the manager detailed:

“Well… I think we can all agree that in Vigo, the youth team players showed they’re not afraid to step up. Thiago had a fantastic game, Palacios changed the team, Manuel Ángel was key on that ball…

“It’s not easy to trust the youth academy when you’re sitting here, and that’s something people need to understand. Because the best players in the world are here, and to play a youth player, you have to bench one of them.

“It’s not easy, but I have a lot of faith in them, and I feel that people identify with them. They’re ready for matches like tomorrow’s, as they’ve already shown.”

Talking about the tactical approach for tomorrow’s match and whether there were special plans to mark someone like Erling Haaland, Arbeloa stated:

“We’ll have to mark a lot of players, because they have a lot of individual talent. But they also play well as a team; they can play with their eyes closed.

“It’s a match where we need to be very solid defensively, on set pieces… every detail is crucial. But we’re focused and confident about what’s to come.”

Concluding, commenting on whether a draw will be a good result for Real Madrid, he said: “I believe we will go out to win tomorrow.”

Source: AS