Pep Guardiola has stated that Manchester City are not afraid of Real Madrid. The Spaniard admitted that he respected Los Blancos, but has never feared them.
Speaking to the media ahead of the UEFA Champions League clash, Guardiola stated that he was looking forward to the match as it was between two good teams. He added that they need to focus on themselves and not worry about their opponents to make it through.
He said:
“No I don’t fear them. I respect them a lot, I’ve faced them many times. And if I said I were scared of them, I would be being false. I spoke of the condition of the pitch with the best wishes in the world and it’s their decision if they don’t do that. You can believe what you want when I say that. I have to have respect. There’s the rivalry, you want to beat them and do well, sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. I want to do as well as we can, be ourselves. If we can’t be, it doesn’t matter. But I’m not scared of them and if they beat me – as as happened many times – we will say congratulations and wish them well.”
The quarterfinal tie is currently level at 3-3 following the first leg at Santiago Bernabeu. Both sides managed to take leads in the match but failed to keep hold of it until the end of the game.
Pep Guardiola on Real Madrid and Jude Bellingham
While Pep Guardiola has admitted that he is not afraid of Real Madrid, he is aware of the threat from Jude Bellingham. The Manchester City manager has asserted that they cannot give Bellingham space and time as he can control the game.
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The Citizens manager believes that the Englishman feels no pressure and is an exceptional player too. He said:
“Bellingham shows playing at a top club like Madrid or Barcelona it is not easy to settle quick and he settled even quicker. From the beginning his impact was huge in terms of goals and many things. At his age, he feels pressure without a problem, he has a good mentality and is an exceptional player. We have to control him and take a look at what he does.”
Manchester City won 4-0 at the Etihad last season when Real Madrid visited. The first leg also ended in a draw when the two sides clashed last season.