Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola, has expressed confidence in his team’s preparedness for their upcoming Champions League semi-final second-leg match against Real Madrid with the exception of defender Nathan Ake who has been ruled out due to injury.
The Etihad Stadium is set to host the Champions League semi-final second-leg tie on Wednesday and Guardiola expects a tough game against Real Madrid who managed to secure a 1-1 draw in last week’s first-leg encounter at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Ake, who was replaced in City’s 2-1 victory over Leeds on May 6, missed the trip to Madrid and will also be absent from Wednesday’s match.
Guardiola stated this during his pre-match press conference, sagely noting that the team would have the backing of their fans during challenging moments:
“Except Nathan, everyone is fit. I know they will be close to us because they know what this team has done over the last years,” Guardiola said.
“In bad moments, they will be with us and in the good, they will put us first. The way to put the pressure on our opponents is in our game…But of course, in the bad moments, they are there and will be there.”
With a place in the final beckoning, City are hoping to put in a solid performance to secure their first-ever Champions League final appearance.
