Manchester City have been drawn with Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-finals while Bayern Munich will take on Atletico Madrid.
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City will be at home in the first leg on April 26/27 before heading to the Bernabeu a week later.
Real won the first clash 3-2, while the return game ended in a 1-1 draw.
“Maybe another way of thinking is to say no they have all the pressure because they’re a big team and we’re only invited to the semi-final, but I don’t think that is the way”.
“The second year we played a very strong Barcelona, better than our team with Neymar, Messi and Suarez in their best moments”.
It will be the second time Atletico and Bayern will meet in Europe – the last was the 1974 final, which the German giants won.
The contrasts do not end there. The Blues are in a more healthier 10th position in the table, but they suffered a wobble last weekend when they were beaten by Swansea City for the first time in the club’s history.”Madrid are always favourites, and always will be”.
Real’s strikeforce of Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema will be confident of puncturing City’s often shaky defence.
2nd legs: May 4 & 5.
And the City boss is ready to take revenge on the Spanish club who sacked him by ending their Champions League hopes. Pellegrini coached Madrid in 2009-10.
Pellegrini’s Real stint was sandwiched in between reigns at Villarreal and Malaga, making Madrid familiar opponents.
In stark contrast, Liverpool are attempting to win their ninth major continental trophy, and in the process, draw level with Sevilla as the competition’s record four-time winners.
He said: “I think the fans will enjoy the way this club continue going further in the competition”.
“The motivation is to win the tie”. The Premier League outfit faced Real in the Champions League 2012-13 group stage.
Real director Emilio Butragueno said: “They will be evenly matched”. The youngster has impressed in his debut season with Manchester City.
“Last year also people said we were lucky when we got Juventus and we were knocked out”.
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On the flipside of that coin, Guardiola now very realistically faces the chance of having to play his future side Manchester City in the final as well.
