Coach Alvaro Arbeloa: 'Mbappe is ready, Man City wait'

Real Madrid coach Álvaro Arbeloa held a press conference before the big match against Manchester City at Etihad.

Regarding the lineup and objectives of Real Madrid for the match at Etihad, Arbeloa stated: "The lineup will be similar to the first leg. Our only goal is to go out and win with the same humility and determination as in the first leg. Even more so, because this will not be an easy match. Humility and ambition must be shown tomorrow."

Updating on the squad situation before the match, Arbeloa confirmed: "Bellingham wanted to come with the team, but he will not play tomorrow. I am very happy to see him getting closer to returning. He will be one of the leaders, and his presence here with us is very important. Mbappé is ready, tomorrow you will see."

Speaking about Mbappé's impact on Real Madrid's play, Arbeloa praised the French star's movement: "Kylian brings different qualities compared to players like Brahim, but he also connects very well with them. He is a very intelligent player and can move into the spaces left by opponents. I am eager to see him on the field."

Evaluating the difficulty of the match against Manchester City, Arbeloa emphasized: "We are fully aware of the difficulty of tomorrow's match and the opponent we face. To win, we must perform at a very high level, like in the first leg or even better, with unity, effort, and sacrifice, and find ways to hurt them."

When asked about the pressure of the coaching position at Real Madrid, Arbeloa said: "That is the last thing worrying me right now. I don't think about it. What I care about is tomorrow's match continuing to bring excitement to Real Madrid fans. I will be here as long as circumstances allow, and I am happy until the last day."

Commenting on Pep Guardiola and how Manchester City prepares for the match, Arbeloa expressed respect for his colleague: "I think he explained that this morning. It's nothing new for them. This is Guardiola's 987th match. I am not reckless enough to give him advice. They are a team that understands each other very well, they can play almost blind because they have been together for many years."

Evaluating the form of Federico Valverde, the Real Madrid coach believes the Uruguayan player is at his best: "Fede can play in any position and performs excellently. He is at his peak form and also scores goals. He has freedom to move. When Bellingham and Mbappé return, we still need to maintain this version of Valverde."

Finally, speaking about Arda Güler and the task of marking Erling Haaland, Arbeloa stressed that Real Madrid needs collective defense: "The goal against Elche was truly beautiful. A masterpiece. As for facing Haaland… we must defend against this striker with as many players as possible. But I think Arda did very well and hope tomorrow we can repeat that."