Pep Guardiola is not well-liked in Madrid, and the negative aspects of his teams were brought up to Carlo Ancelotti before their Champions League match. Real Madrid has four players at risk of missing the next game due to yellow card accumulation, leading to concerns from Spanish media about Guardiola’s teams potentially influencing referees. Ancelotti dismissed any worries about potential yellow cards for Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Jr, Eduardo Camavinga, or Aurelien Tchouameni ahead of the match. There may be some discontent among the locals if any of these players are booked on Tuesday night. Real Madrid, with 14 Champions League trophies, are the dominant force in the competition and have also managed to overcome Girona to lead La Liga this season. Guardiola has been complaining about the challenges of playing matches every three days, especially after losing Kyle Walker and Nathan Ake to injuries recently. In contrast, the Spanish team has had nine days to prepare for this match. Additionally, a harsh assessment of City’s European ambitions has been revealed. Furthermore, Pep Guardiola’s risky decisions have contributed to Manchester City increasing the pressure on Real Madrid. Despite Ancelotti and defender Toni Rudiger expressing confidence, there was still a feeling of vulnerability in the air as the memory of City’s decisive victory at the Etihad Stadium lingers. Ancelotti, known for his composure, did not shy away from criticizing the team’s performance after the 4-0 loss, stating that they lacked bravery and character. In these types of games, courage and character are crucial, and in the second game, we lacked these qualities. Additionally, our performance in the game suffered because we did not handle certain situations well. It was both a mental and technical issue. They pushed hard while we failed to seek an alternative.
