Real Madrid Prepared to Face Manchester City in Champions League Clash

Real Madrid enters Wednesday’s Champions League round of 16 first leg against Manchester City determined not to be intimidated, despite a recent 2-1 defeat to Pep Guardiola’s side in the league phase last December. Álvaro Arbeloa, Real Madrid’s manager, emphasized the team’s confidence ahead of the match.

Arbeloa Dismisses Inferiority Complex

“We’re Real Madrid, we never feel less than anybody,” Arbeloa stated in a press conference on Tuesday. “We shouldn’t feel inferior to anybody. We all know the opponent remarkably well, the club, the coach [Pep Guardiola], the players. They were champions two years ago. But we go into it with a lot of excitement… Tomorrow we’ll play to win.”

Key Players Unavailable

Real Madrid will be without several key players, including Kylian Mbappé and Jude Bellingham. Éder Militão, Álvaro Carreras, and Rodrygo are also unavailable due to injury. Rodrygo recently underwent surgery on his cruciate ligament injury ESPN.

Mbappé’s Recovery

Despite the absences, there is positive news regarding Kylian Mbappé’s fitness. Arbeloa reported that Mbappé is “much better” and progressing well, with a potential return to the squad in the near future ESPN.

Valverde on the Tie

Midfielder Federico Valverde acknowledged the previous defeat but highlighted the difference between the group stage and the knockout rounds. “It’s a slightly different match than last time,” Valverde said. “Now it’s home and away, and that changes things quite a bit. But it’s important to get a fine result for the second leg… We don’t want what happened last time to happen again, when we let it slip away because of our own mistakes.” ESPN

Arbeloa Anticipates Guardiola’s Tactics

Having previously faced Guardiola’s Barcelona as a player, Arbeloa anticipates tactical surprises from the Manchester City manager. “He always has a surprise prepared,” Arbeloa said. “He’s a coach who, as much as you watch his teams, will have something different prepared, with the variations he’s capable of using. I’d be surprised if there weren’t some change in their structure, how they want to attack, or a player who hasn’t played recently.” ESPN

Response to Laporta’s Claims

Arbeloa also responded to claims made by Barcelona president Joan Laporta regarding refereeing decisions. Laporta had suggested Real Madrid benefited from favorable refereeing over an extended period. Arbeloa countered by pointing out that Laporta himself had authorized increased payments to José María Enriquez Negreira, Spain’s former vice president of refereeing ESPN.