Tomorrow (21), the players of Real Madrid will welcome the current European champions, the Manchester City team, in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals.
Real coach Carlo Ancelotti, who will start a record 200th match in the Champions League tomorrow, had eight full days to prepare the team to face Pep Guardiola's Manchester City for the third year in a row in the knockout phase of Europe's strongest competition.
City, meanwhile, played against Crystal Palace on Saturday, so Guardiola is not happy with the significant difference in preparation time. The last match in the Spanish league, Real played on March 31 against Athletic Bilbao, and the previous weekend they rested because that weekend was reserved for the final of the King's Cup.
"This is an incredibly attractive match. The quality of both teams will allow us to watch a good match. We think we will be better than City in some aspects and they think they will be better than us in others. After 180 minutes we will see who was better ", Ancelotti said today.
Two seasons ago, Real eliminated City in the semi-finals of the Champions League, while the English club retaliated last season, also in the semi-finals.
In those last four games of these two teams in the Champions League, 17 goals were scored. In mutual duels, City registered four victories, Real three, while three games ended in a draw.
Both teams are trying to reach the semi-finals of the Champions League for the fourth time in a row.
Real coach Carlo Ancelotti will play his 200th game in the Champions League tomorrow.
"It's a great achievement. I remember my first game, it was against Sparta Prague when I was in Parma. To reach 200 games means a lot. To survive so many years in football, especially at my age, is a great achievement," he said. 64-year-old Italian.
Ancelotti will attempt to win his third Champions League title with Real, with a squad boosted this season by the signing of Jude Bellingham.
The young English midfielder has never played in the Premier League, but has met Manchester City four times so far and scored twice against the English team.
Bellingham has scored 20 goals and provided ten assists since arriving in Madrid and is one of the club's best attacking weapons this season, alongside Vinicius Junior and Rodrigo.
"His influence is huge. It's a different team from last season. The match against Real Madrid is always a tough challenge. They are an exceptional club and in this competition they can control many things with the experience they have from the past," Guardiola said.
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