Now it's become a habit, and Manchester City and Real Madrid are once again going head-to-head in the Champions League. This time it's earlier than ever, but the new format of the elite competition is unusual in many ways, including the fact that the current champion and the 2023 champion will decide who advances to the round of XNUMX.
This is the fourth season in a row that Real and City have directly decided relegation, and the fifth in the last six. So far, the two great rivals have won twice each in those clashes...
- In recent years, these have become big duels, a kind of European classic. We were looking forward to them, and I hope it will be us now too - said the City manager Pep Guardiola.
On their way to the 2021 final, where they were defeated by Chelsea, City celebrated against Real Madrid in the round of 2, winning both matches 1-2023. The English team also celebrated in XNUMX (in the semi-finals), when they won their only title in this competition to date.
After a 1-1 draw in Madrid at the Etihad, there was no question of a finalist because the Citizens inflicted one of the heaviest defeats in the Champions League on the giants - 4-0 with unprecedented dominance. City later won the Istanbul final by a goal Rodria defeated Inter...
In short, the point is that both City and Real became champions of the Old Continent when they eliminated each other.
- No one should think that this year's job is any easier, because despite the problems, City have a great team and a clear system - said the coach of the "royal club" Carlo Angelotti.
What these two teams have in common are injuries. They have too many of them, and injuries have cost Guardiola the most so far. Rodria, while Ancelotti cannot count on Dani Carvajal, Antonio Ridiger, Eder Militao, Lucas Vazquez, David Alaba...
- It seems to me that Real Madrid is dealing with these problems better than us. Real Madrid is the champion of Spain and the leader in La Liga, they are the champion of Europe and the Champions League is a competition in which they always show something special. All this shows how hard the work ahead of us is, but we are not giving up - is the message of Guardiola, whose team struggled with third-tier Leyton Orient in the FA Cup at the weekend.
Paris Saint-Germain awaits a French doubleheader with Brest in which they are the absolute favorite, but Luis Enrique He doesn't like an atmosphere where his team has to do something.
- We want to reach the round of 18.45 and that is our realistic goal, but do we have to talk about how capable Brest is of creating problems? - the Spaniard noted before the match, which starts today at XNUMX:XNUMX PM.
Juventus welcomes Inter in the Derby d'Italia on Sunday, and before that, they play at home against a team they easily defeated in the league stage of the Champions League - PSV (3:1).
- We're not thinking about Inter, we're just thinking about PSV - that's the most important possible match right now. PSV's results haven't been the best lately, but they're a very good team - says the coach of the "old lady" Thiago Motta.
It will be hot in Lisbon as well, Sporting and Borussia Dortmund meet.
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