Pep Guardiola must pass Real Madrid test in Champions League

Despite Manchester City having their two-year European football ban revoked, there is still pressure on them to finally deliver in the Champions League this season. Pep Guardiola’s poor record in the competition after leaving Barcelona in 2011, failing to make the final since, is the one major blot on otherwise successful spells at Bayern Munich and City. So, he will be determined to put his Champions League hoodoo to bed.

Currently blocking his path are newly-crowned Spanish champions Real Madrid. In late February at the Bernabeu, it was the Manchester side who impressed, clinching a 2-1 win thanks to late goals from Gabriel Jesus and Kevin De Bruyne. They are in a great place for Friday night’s second-leg at the Etihad with a safety net of two away goals - and this is not the same Real that ripped to three straight European crowns in Zinedine Zidane's first spell in charge.

Real Madrid’s squad has changed considerably in recent years and when it comes to goals they have a dependence on the often-underappreciated Karim Benzema. Worryingly, central defender Sergio Ramos, who misses out through suspension, is their second-highest goalscorer on 13 and their only other player on double figures.

Therefore, the Spanish side’s lack of firepower up top will be a welcome relief to a City side whose leaky and unreliable defence have prompted a search for a centre-back (with Bournemouth’s Nathan Ake arriving in a £40 million deal on Wednesday). That relief will be short-lived if City cannot nullify the threat of Benzema.

Guardiola’s side had a strong end to the season, with losses to Chelsea and Southampton in the league and an FA Cup semi-final defeat to Arsenal their only blemishes from ‘Project Restart’. Their run of five consecutive wins to end the league season featured three 5-0 victories and a 4-0 win too.

The fact that Real Madrid will be without their captain Ramos and possibly experienced full-back Marcelo, who is doubtful after missing their Liga run-in, further swing the odds in City’s favour. That is irrespective of their own key absentees of Sergio Aguero, who is still recovering from knee surgery in June, and the suspended Benjamin Mendy.

Taking Pep and City’s respective head-to-head records against Real Madrid into consideration, the manager has overseen 10 victories, four draws and four losses against Los Blancos, while the Manchester club have lost twice, drawn twice and only won once against them. However, that sole triumph came in February under Guardiola.

So even without their fans in an eerie Etihad, City will take positives in their quest to continue their run in this season’s Champions League and help Guardiola reach his first final in the competition since 2011.

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