Guardiola unfazed as Man City face Real Madrid in Bernabeu cauldron

Pep Guardiola has urged his Manchester City stars to show their “personality” as the Spaniard plots yet another successful visit to Real Madrid in Wednesday’s Champions League semifinal second leg.

Guardiola’s side head to Madrid with a slender 4-3 advantage after last week’s thrilling first leg at the Etihad Stadium.

With a place in the Champions League final at stake, Guardiola can take comfort from his impressive record in Real’s intimidating

Bernabeu Stadium.

Many star-studded teams have folded when confronted by a European night under the lights in one of the sport’s most hallowed cathedrals.

But Guardiola has never been cowed by the prospect of facing Real on their own turf, winning six times and losing just once in nine visits with City, Barcelona and Bayern Munich.

Guardiola’s Barcelona marked his first game as a visiting boss in the Bernabeu with a 6-2 demolition of Real in 2009.

He also masterminded a 2-0 Champions League semifinal first leg win at Real in 2011 that propelled Lionel Messi and company toward the second of their two Champions League titles during his reign.

Messi memorably scored a superb solo goal in that encounter and Guardiola would dearly love a similar contribution from one of City’s array of attacking talents. City have already won at the Bernabeu in the Guardiola era, securing a 2-1 triumph in the Champions League last 16 first leg two years ago en route to eliminating the Spanish club.

Overall, Guardiola has won 12 of his 20 managerial meetings with Real at home and away.

But Guardiola did suffer a Champions League semifinal exit against Real in 2014 when his Bayern Munich were crushed 5-0 on aggregate by Los Blancos.

And, fueled by Karim Benzema’s incredible goal blitz, Real have already staged two dramatic comebacks at the Bernabeu to knock out Paris Saint Germain and Chelsea in the previous two rounds.