Real Madrid News
Mbappe’s record vs Manchester City gives Real Madrid a major advantage
Real Madrid received a timely lift ahead of their crucial Champions League showdown, with Kylian Mbappe returning to training just in time.
The French superstar’s availability could prove decisive against Manchester City, even if there is still uncertainty over whether Alvaro Arbeloa will risk him from the start.
Given Madrid’s strong position in the tie, caution remains a factor, but Mbappe’s history against City makes the decision far more intriguing.
Mbappe’s record against Man City
As such, Manchester City have consistently been one of Mbappe’s favourite opponents in the Champions League.
To put it in perspective, across seven meetings against Pep Guardiola’s side, the forward has scored seven goals, which is a remarkable return.
Interestingly, City are not the only high-profile opponent he has enjoyed facing.
His next most productive record comes against Barcelona, where he has scored six goals in just four matches, followed by Club Brugge, against whom he has netted five times.
However, his story against City is particularly compelling because it spans multiple chapters of his career.
Mbappe’s favourite opponent
Mbappe first made his mark against the Premier League side during his breakout season with AS Monaco in 2016-17.
At the time, he stunned Europe by helping Monaco eliminate City in the Round of 16.
Despite a 5-3 defeat in the first leg, Monaco turned the tie around with a 3-1 victory at home, with Mbappe scoring in both matches.
His next encounters came during his time at Paris Saint-Germain, where he faced City three times but managed just a single goal.
Last season, with Real Madrid, Mbappe delivered one of his most decisive performances against Guardiola’s side.
Across the two playoff matches, he scored four goals, powering Madrid to a memorable win.
This season, however, he has been absent in both the matches Real Madrid have played against Man City.
Real Madrid News
Mourinho reacts to Vinicius suspension: “Why announce it two hours before an important match?”
Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho has questioned the RFEF Disciplinary Committee’s decision to announce Vinicius Jr.’s four-match suspension just hours before their UEFA Champions League meeting with AS Roma on Wednesday.
The Brazilian has been hit with a four-match ban for his red card against Villarreal, meaning he will miss the matches against Sevilla, Barcelona, Racing Santander, and Valencia.
And, speaking to Movistar+ (h/t MARCA) before the match, the Real Madrid manager was asked whether the punishment could affect the Brazilian psychologically.
Mourinho instead turned his attention to the football authorities and the timing of their announcement.
“I think that is a question for the Committee. Why have they announced the suspension at this particular moment? If you are asking me this question, it is presumably because you think it could affect him,” the Portuguese coach replied.
“You should ask the Committee why they did not announce it this morning, or tomorrow morning. Why do they do it two hours before a match that is important for Real Madrid, which is a Spanish club?” he added, questioning the timing of the decision.
Mourinho explains his tactical approach against Roma
The Real Madrid manager also outlined his plan for facing a Roma side known for their aggressive pressing.
“My intention is to stop them from pressing us so high up the pitch, given the players we have available and as a precaution,” he said.
Continuing, the Portuguese manager added: “They press man-to-man higher up the pitch better than anyone else, and we will see whether we can take advantage of that. If not, they will have to drop their press five or ten metres.”
Why Rudiger over Huijsen
Mourinho also justified his decision to start Antonio Rudiger at centre-back alongside Ibrahima Konate rather than Dean Huijsen.
“They played very well together in the last match, Rudiger and Konate, showing great leadership and the ability to withstand a difficult situation when we had ten men for 30 minutes,” he said.
“I am not saying Dean is not capable of playing a match like this, but this is a wonderful atmosphere for Roma and a difficult one for us. I think a player with Antonio’s experience can be important,” Mourinho added.
Finally, Mourinho was asked about his emotions ahead of returning to face Roma, the club he managed between 2021 and 2024.
The Portuguese coach offered a brief response, saying that he had his feelings about the occasion “blocked”.
