Man City Eye Revenge at Real Madrid in UCL Round of 16

Pep Guardiola preps Man City for Real Madrid UCL test

Pep Guardiola says City are better equipped for Bernabeu game, with Erling Haaland fit for Champions League round of 16 clash.

Pep Guardiola's City, boosted by Erling Haaland's return, face Real Madrid in Champions League last-16 first leg at the Bernabeu...

Manchester City is heading back to the Bernabeu tonight, and Pep Guardiola is confident his team is in better shape than last season. “We arrive better in terms of we have the squad,” Guardiola said. “Last season we arrived with a lot of fatigue and so few players available.”

Pep Guardiola is looking for a stronger performance from his team, especially after Erling Haaland was fit for the match against Newcastle United over the weekend. Haaland's involvement could be a game-changer, given his impressive track record against Real Madrid.

City face Real Madrid away in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16, with the second leg scheduled for March 17 in Manchester.

City will be boosted by the return of Erling Haaland after the striker sat out their 3-1 fifth-round FA Cup win over Newcastle United at the weekend. 

“We play 11 against 11 tomorrow,” he said. “When you have everybody fit and play in a lot of competitions and games, of ‌course it is better to rotate. Fresh legs and ⁠fresh minds.”

January signings Antoine Semenyo and Marc Guehi are in line for their Champions League debuts, with Guardiola seeing it as a great introduction to the competition. 

“As quick as they start to live these kinds of situations, the better it will be for the future of this club,” he said.

Guardiola acknowledged the challenge of facing Real Madrid at their intense home stadium, but pointed out that City have faced similar situations before. 

“You have to face the opponent with incredible respect, ⁠but look in their eyes and say, 'Okay, this is who we are as a team',” he said. “And you have to do it. Maybe you are lucky and go through.

“If we are not able to handle this situation when we play at Anfield or Old Trafford or Emirates or Stamford Bridge or Bayern ‌Munich or PSG... you have to live that. It is better to be here than not to be here.

“I prefer to be here and come to this stadium in the last 16 because that means we are in more or less the elite of Europe. This club was never there 12 or 13 years ago, so as much as you play these games, it is always learning and always an experience for the future.

Press conference:

🆚 Real Madrid (A)
🏆 @ChampionsLeague
🎙️ @PepTeam & Gianluigi Donnarumma
▶️ Watch live: https://t.co/H9EtDj9niK pic.twitter.com/6URuKtqM4w

— Manchester City (@ManCity) March 10, 2026

“Of course we want to go through and are going to give everything to go through next Tuesday and continue.”

Donnarumma, who won the Champions League with PSG last season, thinks this year's competition is wide open. 

“There are some teams that can make it to the final, there are many strong and tough teams,” he ‌said.

“If you speak about last season, before the round of 16 nobody thought that PSG could be a strong candidate to win the final, but things can change overnight. It depends on the timing and how fit the team is.”

Donnarumma warned that the margins are razor-thin in the Champions League. 

“We are about to play games where you are in ⁠or out,” he said. “You need to manage ⁠things properly, you have two games... ‌In the Champions League details are everything and they can make the difference.”

Pep 💬 We play 11 v 11. When you have everybody fit, it’s better to rotate for fresh legs and minds. Tomorrow is another competition. In the first leg of two games, we’ll try to get a good result.

— Manchester City (@ManCity) March 10, 2026