Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has acknowledged that their upcoming Champions League clash with Real Madrid will be “extremely difficult.”
The two European giants have been drawn against each other in the knockout play-offs, with City set to host the first leg at the Etihad on either February 11 or 12. The return leg will take place at the Santiago Bernabeu on February 18 or 19.
Before facing Madrid, Guardiola’s side will travel to North London to face Arsenal in the Premier League, marking the start of a challenging February schedule. City will also take on Newcastle, Liverpool, and Tottenham, in addition to the two-legged Champions League tie against Real Madrid.
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“We started with Paris and Chelsea, so we are already in the midst of tough games,” Guardiola said. “We’ve dealt with this kind of intense schedule for many years, so it’s not a problem.”
“Real Madrid is extremely difficult. We know that. It’s tough playing against them, but the bigger issue is the game against Newcastle in the middle of it all.”
Guardiola also addressed the possibility of Rodri returning to the Champions League squad. The Spaniard is back in Manchester after starting his recovery in Madrid, but Guardiola cautioned against rushing his return.
“The most important thing is for him to recover properly,” Guardiola said. “He’s not a teenager anymore, but he still has many years ahead of him. We don’t want him to come back too soon and risk a setback that could affect next season.”
“Recovery takes time, and it’s going well so far. Step by step, we’ll assess how he progresses.”
