REAL MADRID WELL RESTED TO TAKE ON CITY
One of the Champions League’s newest rivalries resumes this week when Real Madrid hopes to take advantage of extended rest in today’s quarter-final against Manchester City.
Madrid’s coach Carlo Ancelotti, entering his record-extending 200th Champions League match, has had eight full days to prepare his squad for facing Pep Guardiola’s Man City for the third straight year in the knockout rounds.
City, meanwhile, played on Saturday at Crystal Palace in the English Premier League (EPL) and Guardiola wasn’t happy about the considerable difference in the teams’ preparation time. Madrid’s last Spanish league match was on March 31, a 2-0 win at Athletic Bilbao. Madrid didn’t play this past weekend as it was reserved in the Spanish calendar for the Copa del Rey final.
“Maybe they have a bit of an advantage in this sense,” City midfielder Rodri said yesterday. “Let’s see how the team responds physically. Of course, we would like to rest like them, but it’s something that doesn’t worry us.”
CHANGES
Ancelotti said he was not going to make any “rare” changes to his team or try anything too different tactically because of the extra time he had to prepare.
“It is an incredibly attractive match,” he said.
“The quality of both sides will allow us to watch a beautiful match at a technical level. We think we will be better than City in some aspects, and they think they will be better than us in others.”
Madrid eliminated City two seasons ago with a late comeback in the second leg of the semi-finals at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, where they haven’t lost in 27 straight games in all competitions dating to last April.
City got the better of Madrid last season, advancing after a 4-0 rout in the second leg of the semi-finals at home. Both clubs went on to win the Champions League title after eliminating their rivals.
CITY’S INJURIES
The last four matches between them produced 17 goals in total. They will have faced each other 12 times in 12 years after this season’s quarter-finals. So far, there are four wins for City and three for Madrid, with three draws.
Both teams are trying to reach the semifinals for the fourth straight time.
City have injury concerns at full-back, with captain and first-choice right-back Kyle Walker hurt on England duty in the recent international break and Guardiola’s two main options at left-back – Nathan Ake and Josko Gvardiol – picking up injuries since the resumption of the EPL.
“It is what it is,” Guardiola said. “We will play with 11 and try to adapt with the players that we have.”