Pep Guardiola believes there is no better place than the Estadio Bernabeu for his Manchester City team to prove their worth in this year’s Champions League.
The Citizens were regular visitors to the Spanish capital in UEFA’s flagship competition, and this was their 15th meeting in the Champions League since the 2012-13 edition.
However, having lost just one of his first nine away games against Madrid as manager (W6 D2), Guardiola is winless in his last four matches against the Spanish side (D2 L2).
City, meanwhile, have lost their last two games against Los Blancos and suffered against them both home and away in last season’s play-off round, losing 6-3 on aggregate.
That is as many losses as they had suffered in their previous eleven matches against the LaLiga giants combined (W4 D5 L2), although Guardiola believes the iconic stadium offers his team the chance to repeat previous successes on that ground.
“We were in a group stage, it’s different whether you play the last 16, or the quarter-finals or semi-finals,” Guardiola told reporters.
“We arrived last season with all the problems, but the other games were exciting and good games. We have important players who are experiencing their first time here at the Bernabeu.
“The greatest players who have left a legacy for ten years – Kevin De Bruyne, Walker, Gundogan, Stones – are not there. Many are new, they want to experience that.”
“They want to know they did it and can do it again. It’s a good place to prove yourself and show what you’re like as a team.”
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Guardiola has already faced Madrid 27 times and won 48% of those matches (W13 D7 L7).
However, the Spaniard is winless in the most recent four against the Spanish side (D2 L2), although he has never made it five in a row without beating them.
And the City boss will reunite with Xabi Alonso, with the Madrid boss making 79 appearances under Guardiola at Bayern Munich between 2014 and 2016.
But pre-match talk has surrounded Alonso and his position at the club following Madrid’s 2-0 defeat to Celta Vigo in LaLiga last weekend.
“Their opinion, I don’t agree with their opinion,” Guardiola said of speculation surrounding Alonso.
“Of course I have sympathy because we were together for two years, and it was an incredible experience to be with him.
“Not just as managers; we also share families. Barcelona and Real Madrid are the most difficult clubs to manage because of the environment.”
“It’s a difficult place, but he knows: it’s the reality of being here.
“A lot of players are injured, like we were last season, but as manager of Real Madrid he is able to do what is required of that position.
“Today you have to win everywhere, otherwise you have a problem.
“In England what happens in the dressing room always stays there, but in my experience in Spain, at Barca and Real Madrid, everyone knows everything.”
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