Pep Guardiola will be hoping for better luck against Real Madrid for his Manchester City team compared to the last time the boss faced off against Los Blancos.
City have been paired with Real in the last 16 of this season’s Champions League with the first leg at the Bernabeu tonight.
It is the first time Guardiola has come up against the La Liga giants since being City boss having last faced Real back in the 2013/14 Champions League.
That was when Guardiola was manager of Bayern Munich with the semi-final ending in disaster for the former Barcelona boss.
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Real won 1-0 at the Bernabeu before thrashing Bundesliga giants Bayern 4-0 on their own turf.
It’s not all bad for Guardiola though, with the City boss having an impressive record against Real Madrid when all results are taken into account.
Of the 17 times Guardiola has come up against Madrid, he has lost just four.
Victory has also been seized by the City boss on nine times with four matches being drawn.
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And Guardiola appears confident of keeping his good form against Real Madrid going with Manchester City.
“It is the real, real test,” he said. “The king of this competition against one team who are not used to playing these kind of games.
“It will be in a marvellous stadium where we have to show our personality, so I know that my players, myself, all the club want to fight until the end for this title.
“If you want to win it, you have to face these teams — Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Barcelona.
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“You have players who come to Madrid and pull on the shirt, they know they are defending their history. That makes an extra thing.
“They are the club we want to emulate and imitate. I want to go there and, at the end of the game, I want to say, 'We were what we are'.
“This is the most important thing in these type of competitions. I have an incredible admiration for Real Madrid and I know how difficult it is.
“The players who have played there have played so many times in the final and I don't know how many times each one has lifted the trophy.”
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