STERLING’S A MIRACLE MAN
(Must be something in the jeans, Pep) REAL MADRID v MAN CITY
PEP GUARDIOLA will unleash Raheem Sterling on Real Madrid tonight after hailing the Manchester City star for his “amazing” powers of recovery.
Sterling, who has missed the last three weeks with a hamstring injury, caused controversy in the build-up to the tie by posing for pictures with a Real shirt.
But that paled into insignificance next to the fashion faux pas the entire City squad suffered last night as they flew out to Madrid sporting double denim team outfits.
But Guardiola – who unsurprisingly wore his own clobber – said winger Sterling, a £150million target for Real, is raring to go and prove his class in the Bernabeu.
The boss said: “He’s fit, he is a natural condition and his regeneration is amazing. He said to us he could have played against West Ham and Leicester in the games before.
“But the doctor said to be careful, a muscular injury is three weeks or one month out yet Raheem wanted to play and that’s a good sign. He’s ready.”
With Sterling back, City will be at full strength to take on the 13-time European Cup winners, with Guardiola admitting they will need luck on their side.
VAR denied City in the quarter-finals against Tottenham last season, while the season before an erroneous offside decision cost them a goal against Liverpool at the same stage.
Guardiola said: “You need to play well, you have to be strong and you need luck in the knockout stages. It’s the quality of the opponents but you also have to overcome decisions.”
Real gaffer Zinedine Zidane reckons Guardiola is the world’s best manager but insists he and his stars are not scared of him.
Guardiola won the Champions League twice as a coach with Barcelona, while Zidane has led Real to three successive triumphs in the competition.
Asked if Guardiola was the best coach, Zidane said: “Yeah, because he has shown that over the years, at Barca, Bayern and now City. For me, he’s the best.
“Obviously we’re all inspired by his previous achievements but it doesn’t scare us.”