Pep Guardiola has told his Manchester City players to seize what might be a “once in a lifetime” chance to knock Real Madrid out of the Champions League.
City host the Spaniards in the first leg of the semi-final at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday as they aim to reach the final for a second consecutive year. Real arrive as the record 13-time winners but Guardiola wants his team to enjoy the occasion.
“We have to be so precise against them,” the Catalan manager said on Monday. “I said to the players: ‘Enjoy it, prepare for the game. It could be once in a lifetime (experience), nobody knows.’ There is no sense to not enjoy it, we want to be ourselves.”
Guardiola believes reaching the last four again is another step in City’s quest to build an elite-level mentality and culture of relentless winning. “That’s why big clubs stay there for …
- April 26, 2022
