Real Madrid News
Guardiola makes surprising call before Manchester City vs Real Madrid
In the build-up to the decisive clash between Real Madrid and Manchester City, Pep Guardiola has taken a surprising decision regarding the team’s preparation.
According to a report from AS, Guardiola has decided to give his players a full day of rest just one day before the match, cancelling a scheduled training session that was initially planned.
The decision has caught attention because it comes at a time when Manchester City face a huge challenge in the tie.
Notably, the Premier League side suffered a 3-0 defeat at the Santiago Bernabeu in the first leg, leaving them with a major task if they hope to overturn the deficit against Real Madrid.
Despite the high stakes of the match, Guardiola appears to believe that mental and physical recovery may be more beneficial for his players than an additional training session.
City will not train
The City squad had originally been expected to return to their training centre after completing press duties, but the club ultimately decided to cancel the session, allowing players to focus on rest ahead of the decisive encounter.
Interestingly, this is not the first time Guardiola has taken such an approach before a European fixture.
Earlier in the season, the Manchester City coach made a similar decision before a Champions League group stage match against Borussia Dortmund.
The strategy proved successful as City went on to win the game 4-1.
However, the circumstances this time are very different, as Manchester City are chasing a heavy scoreline.
According to the outlet, although no official explanation has been provided for the cancellation of training, the likely reason appears to be player fatigue.
This is because the upcoming clash with Real Madrid will represent Manchester City’s 48th match of the season.
With such a congested calendar, Guardiola may believe that ensuring his players are mentally fresh and physically recovered could be crucial in mounting a comeback.
Real Madrid opted to renew Antonio Rudiger’s contract this past summer to keep him at the club for one more season.
The 33-year-old veteran defender, though, has not been performing at his best, with physical problems taking their toll and age starting to catch up with him.
As such, the expectation is that Los Blancos will not extend his contract again when his current one expires on 30 June 2027.
Tottenham eye Antonio Rudiger
And, according to reports relayed by AS, Premier League giants Tottenham Hotspur are plotting a free-transfer swoop to sign Rudiger in the summer of next year.
The north London club are understood to be keen on reinforcing their backline next year and see the German defender as an option, given his experience in the Premier League and the fact that he would be available for free in the summer.
So far this season, Rudiger has played only five games for Real Madrid, amounting to a total of 396 minutes.
The 33-year-old has even chipped in with two goals, including the all-important winner in the 4-3 comeback victory over AS Roma on Wednesday night.
Time to move on?
Despite Rudiger being a hugely respected figure in the Real Madrid locker room, he is currently the third-choice centre-back for Jose Mourinho.
After all, summer signing Ibrahima Konate and Dean Huijsen have been preferred by the manager so far in the new season.
Moreover, with Eder Militao set to return imminently after a lengthy injury layoff, Rudiger’s game-time could be impacted further.
Given the situation and factoring in Real Madrid’s plans to sign another centre-back next summer, it is pretty much evident that Rudiger does not feature in the club’s plans for beyond this season.
As such, a separation of ways seems pretty likely when his contract expires, and Tottenham are now positioning themselves as early suitors to sign Rudiger as a free agent in 2027.
