Guardiola: City have to keep it Real

PEP GUARDIOLA will not give his Manchester City players a long rest ahead of their Champions League clash with Real Madrid.

While Real boss Zinedine Zidane has given his newly-crowned La Liga champions several days off, Guardiola plans to give his City squad just a two-day break before the last-16 clash. City, who hold a 2-1 lead from the first leg in the Bernabeu, travel to Watford tonight before hosting Norwich on Sunday on the final day of the Premier League season.

Guardiola will give his players Monday and Tuesday off, but has told them it is “full gas” from then on until they host Real at the Etihad on August 7.

“We’ll have two days after Watford, but after that we’ll make two weeks’ worth of training sessions,” said the City boss. “Our game, who we are, with and without the ball, we’re good when we go full gas, with no fear.

“We’re going to have a specific way to play against Real Madrid. We’re going to try to maintain our rhythm, because we have to remember who Madrid are.

“We’ll see the games they’ve played since lockdown. They’ll have no Sergio Ramos, who is banned, so we’ll see the games without him.

“It’s a final and we have to prepare properly. We’re going to train the specific way to play one game. Sometimes you have global concepts, but now we have to be more specific.”

After relinquishing the league title to Liverpool and going out of the FA Cup, Guardiola knows City’s entire season rests on the outcome of the Real clash.

“Against Madrid we have to play a good game,” he added.

“On Saturday, it wasn’t good enough, but it’s forgotten. We’re excited and optimistic against Madrid. If we play at a decent level, we’ll have a chance. If not, we’ll be out.”