Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has labelled his Manchester City counterpart Pep Guardiola a “nightmare” ahead of their UEFA Champions League round of 16 playoff tie at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday, Afrosport reports.
Both sides will meet for the ninth time in the knockout phase since the 2019-20 season, with both sides progressing twice each over two legs.
It has created something of a rivalry that has drawn a lot of attention and Ancelotti was full of praise for Guardiola’s contribution to the game
“As far as I can talk about Guardiola, he seems to be a coach that always tried to bring something new into his team,” the Italian tactician said.
“He has brought a lot to football in the sense of the attacking game, of possession, of pressure, of coming out from the back.
“He is still an innovator in football. So, I have a lot of respect for him because I still think he’s one of the best, if not the best [coach in the world]. Of all the times we face each other, it’s a nightmare to prepare for the games because he always has ideas that make you think.”
Man City have been struggling of late, losing 11 of their last 25 competitive games and while Ancelotti finds it surprising, he still believes they have been able to maintain their competitive edge.
“I’m surprised. Of course, I am surprised,” he added. “They had a period where for them it was difficult to move on, to pass through the difficulties, the injuries. They lost points. But now the team that I saw in the last two or three games is a good team.
“A really competitive team as usual. I have doubts to think that Man City is not so strong. City is strong with fantastic players and as I said (earlier) with a fantastic manager.”
Man City vs Real Madrid: A modern classic.#UCL pic.twitter.com/VxwSQLJd3N
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The second leg of this highly-anticipated fixture takes place next Wednesday at the Santiago Bernabeu with the winner progressing to the round of 16.
