Real Madrid News
Guardiola talks Arbeloa, Vinicius, Mbappe, Santiago Bernabeu ahead of Real Madrid vs Man City
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola faced the media ahead of one of the most anticipated matches of the season as his side prepares to take on Real Madrid in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League round of 16 tie.
The match will take place at the iconic Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, a venue known for its intense atmosphere and unforgettable European nights.
For Guardiola and Manchester City, the visit to Madrid will be another chapter in what has become a regular Champions League rivalry between the two clubs.
During the press conference, Guardiola spoke about the challenge of playing at the Bernabeu and the emotional impact that such a stage can have on players.
“Emotions come into play when you play badly. They can play a role. It’s not our first time here, but you never know what’s going to happen.
“Of course, good things can’t happen if you’re not yourself. You have to face your opponent, look them in the eye and go for it.
“Maybe you get through, maybe you’re unlucky. That’s how it is in big stadiums against big teams. It’s 180 minutes, you have to control the good moments and the bad moments.”
Facing Arbeloa
Guardiola was also asked about the tactical battle he expects against Madrid’s current manager, Alvaro Arbeloa.
Despite their shared history in Spanish football, Guardiola admitted that this will be their first meeting on the touchline.
“Lots of surprises. It’s the first time against Alvaro, I don’t know. But we know each other well.
“He knows us, there are adjustments we have to make because of his quality. But there won’t be any surprises.”
The Manchester City coach also addressed the fact that Real Madrid recently changed managers.
Guardiola explained that he does not know Arbeloa personally, which limits the type of assessment he can make about his counterpart.
“I haven’t worked with Alvaro, I don’t know him well. I give advice to people I know. I’m not in a position to give advice to strangers.
“I have a good relationship with Xabi [Alonso], but not with Arbeloa.”
Problems at Real Madrid
Even with changes on the Madrid bench, Guardiola made it clear that facing Real Madrid in the Champions League remains one of the toughest challenges in European football.
“Real Madrid have similar issues, every coach has their own problems, they have injuries. But Madrid is always Madrid. There are only nuances.”
When asked whether this year’s tie might be more balanced than previous meetings, Guardiola refused to make predictions.
“We’ll see next Tuesday. Last year, we were in very bad shape. I’m not going to be the one to underestimate this club in this competition.”
One of the biggest tactical concerns for Manchester City will be dealing with the threat of Vinicius Jr., whose pace and dribbling have caused problems for many teams.
Guardiola acknowledged how difficult it is to control the Brazilian winger.
“It’s difficult. We used to have [Kyle] Walker. He’s a constant threat. We’ll try to stay close together and run back.
“A lot of the time, you can’t control him, we know that. But we’ll try to impose our game and get him involved as little as possible.”
Guardiola was also asked about Kylian Mbappe and his situation ahead of the tie, but the City manager chose not to go into detail.
“Is my opinion about him going to Paris important? As far as I know, it wasn’t just him.
“It happens at our club too. I don’t think it’s a slight. But I’m not in a position to comment on that.”
This latest meeting will mark the fifth consecutive season in which Manchester City and Real Madrid face each other in the Champions League.
Guardiola admitted that the familiarity between the two clubs makes the tie even more interesting.
“I can’t focus on how Madrid are doing, I don’t see them every day. I don’t know the reality. I focus on how we’ve been in recent games.
“I have no other choice. Then whatever happens, happens. It’s true that it’s a lot. They treat us well, we eat well, and we’ll have a good dinner. And we know we have to be at our best.”
Source: AS
Real Madrid News
Mbappe hits out at claims on his unhappiness at Real Madrid: ‘Angry at my great aunt too’
Kylian Mbappe has been in the news for a plethora of reasons in recent weeks, starting with his injury and surprise vacation. Beyond that, the Ballon d’Or saga has kept him in the spotlight for a reasonable while now.
The Frenchman, after all, has not held back in speaking out about why he deserves to win the prestigious individual award, and while it is perfectly okay to campaign for the award, it is something that has not usually been done in the past.
In terms of his goalscoring numbers, there is no doubt that Mbappe should be a frontrunner for the award. His lack of a single trophy for both club and country, however, works against his chances.
Mbappe’s sarcastic reply to baseless rumours
Earlier today, there were reports of Kylian Mbappe being angry with Zinedine Zidane and Real Madrid for not campaigning for him to win the Ballon d’Or this year.
The rumours, needless to say, portrayed the player in a very bad light and made it seem like the club not making public gestures to acknowledge and back his campaign affected him personally.
Now, the player has himself come out to lash out at the journalists, albeit in a sarcastic manner. Commenting directly below the post making the claim via Fabrizio Romano, the player wrote,
“Yes, yes, I even got angry with my great aunt too.”
Mbappe’s ability to deal with such reports with a tinge of humour, needless to say, is impressive and it can only be good for his image that he spoke out and cut off the news at its roots.
Set to return
There has been significant concern around Mbappe’s fitness in recent weeks after the player left the French national team with an injury after their first game.
The initial diagnosis appeared worrying, but it soon came to light that the player had avoided a major setback by a hair’s breadth.
Now, there is increasing hope that the Frenchman will be back for Real Madrid’s first game after the break against Villarreal, possibly even as a starter.
Needless to say, that comes as a massive positive for Jose Mourinho’s plans ahead of a crucial stretch of the season.
