Pep Guardiola admits if they play against history they won’t stand the chance but insists it will come down to the players against Real Madrid in the Champions League.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is not baffled with the huge history of the semi final opponent Real Madrid in the Champions League.
The Etihad side will host the La Liga league leaders in the Champions League first leg later tonight.
Real Madrid have positive history of winning the Champions League and have won the competition 12 times including wining three times in a row.
Hosting the team in England later tonight in the competition Pep Guardiola said it will come down to 11 vs 11 players and not the history.
“It’s an honour to be here in the semi-final playing Real Madrid. In the last decade we start to be there and it’s an honour to be here. We try to do a good game,” Guardiola added.
“If we had to compete with history, we wouldn’t have a chance. Their history speaks for itself.
“We have to have the desire to compete against them. To play against Real Madrid is an incredible test. We want to try it. We need to suffer, to stick together, when we have the ball try to attack.
“The history, we cannot change it. Tomorrow, we play 11 v 11 and the players will decide if decision making is good.
“We play against players who have been in this position many times. That’s why they have things that maybe still we don’t have. But maybe there are things we have they don’t have, I don’t know.
“At the end it is 11 v 11, they have quality and it’s how strong they are mentally.
“This game will not be won by me or Carlo (Real boss Ancelotti) – it’s the players.
“Being in the semi-final is so good. One day we will not be here because it’s so demanding – look at the big teams who are not here.
“I say to the players, enjoy that moment. You never know if we will be back here at any stage.
“We try to be ourselves in the good moments and bad moments.”
