Manchester City will face Real Madrid on Tuesday afternoon in the preliminary knockout round of the Champions League, a match akin to a play-in format. With two European heavyweights clashing and tensions already rising due to pre-match comments from City’s defender Ruben Dias questioning Kyllian Mbappe‘s performance when Lionel Messi and Neymar Jr. were his teammates, this fixture has garnered widespread media attention.
Ahead of the highly anticipated encounter, Dias and City manager Pep Guardiola addressed the media during a pre-match press conference. The Portuguese defender raised eyebrows with a pointed comment about Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappé. “I’ve played against Mbappé many times, even when he wasn’t the best player on his team because Neymar and Messi were there,” Dias remarked, referencing Mbappé’s time at PSG.
Dias also commented on the Ballon d’Or snub involving Mbappe and Real Madrid players, where Rodri won the prestigious award over Vinícius Júnior, further stoking the rivalry. “I don’t think for a second that it was disrespectful. I was with Rodri and we celebrated it.”
Key form coming into the match
Real Madrid enters the clash following a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Atlético Madrid, which has tightened the race at the top of La Liga. Atlético now trails Madrid by just one point, with Barcelona sitting three points behind in a heated title race.
Ruben Dias of Manchester City speaks during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Knockout Play-off
Meanwhile, Manchester City recently advanced to the FA Cup semifinals with a narrow 2-1 victory against Leyton Orient, the second-oldest club in London. However, it’s been a turbulent Premier League campaign for City, who are enduring arguably their worst season in six years. Their last league outing ended in a crushing 5-1 defeat to Arsenal, adding pressure to Tuesday’s redemption opportunity against Madrid.
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A familiar rivalry
The City vs. Madrid showdown is quickly becoming a Champions League classic. The two sides faced off in last year’s quarterfinals, delivering a thrilling soccer series that ended in Madrid’s favor. The first leg at the Bernabéu ended 3-3, with Ruben Dias unfortunately scoring an own goal. The second leg saw a tense 1-1 draw, with Madrid eventually winning 4-3 on penalties, thanks in large part to Rodrygo’s heroics.
Reflecting on that painful elimination, Dias acknowledged the challenge ahead. “We know how difficult it is to beat Real Madrid. Last year was frustrating because we dominated the game and lost on penalties. Their style of play is different, and they will make things difficult for us. We have to fight harder than ever if we want to win.”
