‘They have managed better than us’ – Pep Guardiola praises Real Madrid ahead of UCL clash | OneFootball

Manchester City head coach Pep Guardiola has on Monday moved to reveal his admiration for upcoming opponents Real Madrid.

The latest edition of the City-Real rivalry is of course set to be kicked into gear on Tuesday night.

As part of the newly-formatted Champions League playoffs, the Spanish champions will make the trip to The Etihad, for the first of two meetings between the clubs.

In the buildup to the clash, much of the chatter has centered on the respective injury problems in Manchester and Madrid alike.

The latter, in particular, have seen their defensive options ravaged in the weeks and months leading up to the fixture, set to be without all of Dani Carvajal, David Alaba, Éder Militão, Antonio Rüdiger and Lucas Vázquez tomorrow evening.

Speaking during his pre-match press conference on Monday, Pep Guardiola was, in turn, asked for his take on the injury woes to have been endured by both clubs this season.

And the Spanish tactician made use of the opportunity to praise Real Madrid, explaining:

“I think Real Madrid have managed injuries better than us because they are first in La Liga. They’re competing against a great Atlético and a great Barcelona. Both City and Madrid have had injury problems. Real Madrid always compete well in these scenarios and we will need to be at a high level to get through.”

Conor Laird – GSFN