Manchester City head coach Pep Guardiola has issued a warning to his side ahead of Tuesday night's Champions League encounter with Real Madrid. The 51-year-old manager has asked his men to seize the moment as they target a successive final appearance at the expense of the Spanish club.
Last season's Champions League final saw Man City narrowly missing out to the title following an agonizing 1-0 defeat to Premier League rivals Chelsea. This season, the Citizens are in contention for a treble, and are are among the favorites to clinch the continental club trophy with a potential final clash with Liverpool or Villarreal on the cards.
Having overcome Atletico Madrid in the quarter-finals, the Premier League outfit will look to get a favorable result against another top club from Madrid when Real comes to the Etihad on Tuesday. The latter completed a sensational turnaround against Chelsea to book their place among the last four and, according to Pep Guardiola, City must not rest on their laurels if they fancy another final appearance.
"To beat an opponent like Real Madrid, when you're playing bad, stick together, suffer together for hopefully as few minutes as possible," Guardiola said in his pre-match press conference. "I said to the players enjoy the moment. You never know, it could be once in a lifetime."
Back in 2020, Man City beat Real Madrid over two legs in the quarter-finals to make a semi-final appearance. However, there is all to play for this time around with the Merengues' fired up, thanks to inspirational performances from talisman Karim Benzema.
