Manchester City Y real Madrid contesting their second consecutive finals. They went through different paths last year (Madrid fell to Chelsea and City eliminated PSG) and this time they meet again with Beşiktaş. always sick presence Pep Guardiola on the visiting bench, whether the team will make the champion Madrid lane, which has been repeatedly asked at the press conference. “This is something that concerns UEFA,” he repeated, to clarify that something well known and never thought by European protocol, the white club and Carlo Ancelotti were first congratulated on the conquest.

Guardiola awaits his visit to the Bernabéu with the same caution as he always does. a stadium he visited nine times and lost only once (with Bayern in the 2013-14 semi-finals). They won with City (19-20 16/16) 1-2, with Barça five times and drew twice. The 4-3 win in the first leg leaves him wondering. “You have to play not just one, but two good games to knock out Madrid,” he said.

First, it fell with a tighter score than City expressed. Guardiola did not want to expand his analysis of an incurable past, or to delve too far into the future until conflict began. “We can play worse than the first leg and winHe noted how “unpredictable” football was and how the essentials of the game were conveyed across the scoreboard, not always proportionately.

0-4 does not serve as a reference

Guardiola He will not reference Barça’s 0-4 He’s in the Bernabeu because he has other players besides Xavi himself. Being such a powerful reason is not the most, not the only reason. “The truth is, I didn’t see the game, I only saw the highlights. [el resumen de las jugadas más destacadas]but i know that day Benzema didn’t play and doing something that Ancelotti wouldn’t normally do,” he said, referring to Modric’s midfield position.

The Santpedor coach is facing the third of ten Champions League semi-finals against Madrid. They eliminated him with Barça and fell out with Bayern. Experience is a helpful factorwithout a determinant. Unlike the vast majority of his career, City and their players, he is contesting only the second final in his history.

“The question is, what did you learn from the experience and what did you learn from it,” Guardiola thought pragmatically, without sharing the lessons he learned from his numerous visits. He was convinced of one thing: the idea of ​​the game should be preserved and appealed to his personality without being intimidated by the team, setting or circumstances. A hellish welcome awaits City.

“Every game is different, you can’t compare. Tomorrow we’ll see how every player stands up, how they feel… A lot of things happen in a game where experience can’t help,” he said. For example, knowing if Kyle Walker will be ready to play. A vital part of the defense, John Stones injured and Joao Cancelo suspended.