“Impossible to stop”: Pep Guardiola warns his team about Real Madrid's deadly front three
- Anweshan Ghosh
- Feb 11
- 3 min read
Manchester City host the defending champions, Real Madrid, in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League knockout playoffs tonight at the Etihad Stadium. The second leg of this tie is scheduled for Wednesday, next week.
Pep Guardiola has admitted that the front trio of Kylian Mbappé, Vinicius Jr., and Rodrygo. is one of the most dangerous attacking trios in Europe, as he has urged his team to be on “full alert” against the electric Los Blancos.
Vinicius Jr. and Rodrygo were a part of the team that lifted the 15th UCL title last season. The addition of Kylian Mbappé has fueled their attack even further.
The Spanish coach stated that it'll be a near to impossible task to stop Madrid from scoring goals; therefore, his team must outscore Real in order to win this tie.
Speaking in the pre-game interview, Guardiola said, “It’s impossible for 90 minutes, 180 minutes, or 200 minutes to control these four players. They are exceptional.” (sic)
He further added, “How they combine, their runs, the ability one‑against‑one, how they keep the ball. So we have to reduce their involvement as much as possible. Knowing that is going to happen, accept it.” (sic)
Real Madrid vs. Manchester City Preview: The survival of the greatest
This clash is expected to be an intense one, considering their recent meetings, with Vinicius’ and Rodri’s recent Ballon d’Or fiasco potentially adding more fuel to this fiery rivalry.
It is also for a fourth time in a row that City and Real will go head-to-head in a Champions League season.
Madrid, playing away from home tonight, will aim to hit Pep Guardiola and City on the break, knowing their old, yet still persisting, weakness.
Man City need to be at their best defensively to allow their goal scorers an opportunity to try and outscore Madrid and gain a healthy advantage for their trip to the Bernabeu in the second leg.
The defending Premier League champions have struggled to get going in any competition this season, with the absence of their star midfielder Rodri affecting Guardiola’s system immensely.
Defensive problems have racked up massively, which is resulting in their worst ever season under Pep.
Based on how things stand currently for them in the Premier League, City might miss out on a place in the Champions League next season.
Real Madrid, on the other hand, have been strong, yet inconsistent as well. Despite forming the new era of the Galácticos, they have not really gotten the output they would have expected.
Missing out on a direct qualification to the Round of 16 of the UCL this season was a huge blow for the Los Blancos, which indicates their shortcomings despite the presence of such a star-studded lineup.
However, they do lead the La Liga title race while being in tremendous form recently as well, which might give them an edge over Manchester City in this tie.
Predicted Lineups
Manchester City Starting XI:
Ederson (GK), John Stones (RB), Ruben Dias (CB), Manuel Akanji (CB), Josko Gvardiol (LB), Mateo Kovacic (CDM), Bernardo Silva (CDM), De Bruyne (c) (CAM), Phil Foden (RW), Savinho (LW), Erling Haaland (ST).
Formation: 4-2-3-1
Predicted Real Madrid XI:
Thibaut Courtois (GK), Lucas Vasquez (c) (RB), Aurelien Tchouameni (CB), Raul Ascensio (CB), Fran Garcia (LB), Dani Ceballos (CDM), Federico Valverde (CM), Jude Bellingham (CDM), Rodrygo (LW), Kylian Mbappé (ST), Vinicius Junior (LW).
Formation: 4-3-3
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