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The Football Faithful
·10 February 2025
Dias rallies Man City ahead of ‘toughest’ Real Madrid test
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Yahoo sportsThe Football Faithful
·10 February 2025
Ruben Dias has said Manchester City can achieve something beautiful when the club take on Real Madrid in the Champions League.
The teams meet in the competition for the fourth consecutive campaign tomorrow evening. Both teams missed out on automatic qualification to the Round of 16 and now face off in a play-off tie to progress.
City host the holders in the first leg at the Etihad tomorrow evening and Dias has rallied the squad ahead of the clash. He accepts Real Madrid are ‘one of the most difficult opponents you can face in the Champions League’ but is confident the Citizens can get the job done.
“Obviously it is one of the most difficult opponents you can face in the Champions League. We know very well what we are up against,” Dias said at a pre-match press conference.
“I would not say it will be intense or not, but it is one of the toughest games you can have, surely.
“We have faced many teams who have players who can make a difference – but in the Champions League that is what you get.
“They have an ability to be more flexible than most teams. We need to be solid at the back – the more solid we are, the more chance we have.”
City have struggle for form this season and sit fifth in the Premier League table. However, Dias is confident that success can be found in the campaign’s adversity.
“Since I have been here this is maybe the most difficult season so far, but I am a firm believer that in the most difficult scenario you can still achieve something beautiful,” he said to assembled media at the City Football Academy on Monday.
“We know it will be difficult to get there but we have to believe in what we have in the dressing room.
“With the right belief, we are able to do anything.”