LONDON — Real Madrid is a different side compared to last season thanks to midfielder Jude Bellingham’s “obvious” impact, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said after his side was drawn to face La Liga club in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals.
Holders City beat the 14-time Champions League winners in the Champions League semi-finals last season, drawing 1-1 away and securing a thumping 4-0 win at the Etihad in the second leg.
Bellingham, who joined Real from Borussia Dortmund in July for a fee of around 103 million euros ($112.1 million), has scored 20 goals and set up nine for the Spanish side across all competitions this season.
Asked about the leading La Liga goalscorer, the City manager said according to Reuters: “(Bellingham’s) impact has been massive. It’s a different team from last season. His influence is obvious, and we have to try to discover what he does to control it.
“Facing Real Madrid is always a tough challenge, nobody can deny it. They are an exceptional club, and in this competition they can control many things with the experience they have in the past.
“Like last season there will be moments for them and moments for us. The longer we can keep our moments, we’ll be closer.
“We’ll try to do a good performance in Madrid and then here, with our people, do it again.”
The first legs of the Champions League’s quarter-finals will be played from April 9-10 and second legs on April 16-17.
In the past four seasons, Real Madrid has played Manchester City thrice in the Champions League knockout stages. During the 2019/20 Round of 16 tie, Man City walked out 4-2 victorious on aggregate.
In the 2021/22 season, the two teams crossed paths in the semi-finals where Madrid made a stunning comeback after losing the first leg 4-3.
Referring to their last season’s meeting where City beat Madrid 5-1 on aggregate, Guardiola pressed that they will take the motivation from the previous outing.
This showdown marks a departure from the past encounters between these European powerhouses, as Bellingham adds a new dimension to Real Madrid’s arsenal.
While the two clubs clashed in the semi-finals in previous years, the spotlight now shines on Bellingham’s prowess and how City can effectively neutralize his contributions.
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