Pep Guardiola: 'It's a bit strange for Man City to face Real Madrid again'

Pep Guardiola concedes he feels it is "somewhat unusual" for Man City to be pitted against Real Madrid once more in the Champions League.

The draw result for the Champions League round of 16has brought the giants Man City and Real Madrid together again just months after their group-stage meeting, raising the total number of clashes between them since Pep Guardiola took charge of Man City in 2016 to 13. This is a frequent rate of encounters compared to previous seasons, when the old format typically meant teams could only rematch from the quarter-finals onward.

When asked about facing Real Madrid in the Champions League last 16, the Spanish tactician found it somewhat strange and suggested the new Champions League format creates more unpredictable scenarios: "Yes, this format is a little bit strange. It's not common for the final group match to be repeated immediately afterward." He gave the example of Real Madrid just facing Benfica in the final group match but potentially meeting the same opponent right after in the knockout stage, something that did not happen in the draw.

Nevertheless, he also stressed that football is always evolving and teams must adapt. In his view, facing the same opponent multiple times in a single season is already familiar in the Premier League or domestic cup competitions.

The Spanish coach added: "In the Premier League and cup tournaments, how many times have we faced Newcastle this season? Hopefully we can meet them again in the final. When I started, only eight, nine, ten teams participated in the Champions League. The point is to adapt. The draw was made in Madrid, what can we do about it?"

Looking ahead, Man City could face Bayern Munich or Atalanta if they overcome Real Madrid, and further down the line, a potential semi-final clash with reigning champions PSG. Theoretically, many opinions suggest Man City have landed in the tougher half of the draw. However, Pep Guardiola disagrees with this view. He believes labeling any half as "easy" or "difficult" is disrespectful to other teams, as the Champions League is inherently demanding.

Coach Pep Guardiola affirmed that Real Madrid is certainly a major challenge, but names like Newcastle, Barcelona, Atlético Madrid, or Tottenham also have their own strengths. "In this competition, every team has a way to make things difficult for you," he said.

According to the Spanish manager, if they want to go far and live up to their championship ambitions, Man City must be ready to overcome top opponents. For him, that is not just a challenge, but the very nature of the Champions League.