Manuel Pellegrini has said Manchester City have no fear of facing Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-finals after being paired with the 10-times winners in Friday’s draw.
City have played Real twice before in European competition, meeting them at the group stage in the 2012-13 season. City lost 3-2 in Madrid and drew the return 1-1. Pellegrini is relaxed about facing a side led by the in-form Cristiano Ronaldo, and believes City should not be scared.
“They have very big players, maybe they are the most important team in the world but we also have very good players and we know that if we play how we play every week we have an option to win,” the manager said.
Atlético Madrid and Bayern Munich meet in the other semi-final, raising the prospect that Pellegrini could face a Bayern side managed by Pep Guardiola, who will replace him this summer, in the final.
City’s tie against a Spanish club was mirrored in a Europa League draw that pitted Liverpool against Villarreal.
Real’s attacking game should suit City’s equally open style, though Pellegrini denied they were the easiest option. “Atlético are very competitive; against Bayern we played four times, we won two each, so it’s very level,” he said.
City play the first leg at home on Tuesday 26 April and the return the following Wednesday. Pellegrini is adamant that despite Real’s pedigree in the competition – no club has won as many European Cups – Zinedine Zidane’s side are not favourites.
“The same as what I said when you asked me if Paris Saint-Germain was favourite when we drew them in the quarter-final: there are no favourites, it’s exactly the same,” he said. “Both teams have the same options. It’s the same now. We have the same options.
“Maybe another way of thinking is it’s more easy to say they have all the pressure because they are a big team, we are invited only to the semi-final but I don’t think that is the way. We have the same options as Real Madrid that we are going to play against them like we always do – playing and thinking as a big team and we are going to try to score here the most amount of goals we can, so I hope this team will reach the final this year.”
Pellegrini has experience of the semi-finals, having taken Villarreal to this stage in 2006, when they were defeated 1-0 on aggregate by Arsenal. “There is no greater motivation,” he said. “Always the motivation to play the semi-final is unbelievable. I always prefer to finish at home but that is not the most important thing.”
