‘Clasico’ rivalry has a bitter edge after Ballon d’Or snub

Real Madrid appear to hold all the power ahead of tonight’s first-leg showdown in east Manchester,

- Richard Jolly

In difficulty, Ruben Dias saw the opportunity for beauty. In a glamour tie, Pep Guardiola saw a punishment that he readily accepted Manchester City deserved. Their meetings with Real Madrid have been quarter-finals or semi-finals. In each of the last three seasons, the victor has gone on to win the Champions League. Now, rivalries are renewed in a knockout play-off. City are unaccustomed to facing Real at a stage that also includes Club Brugge and Brest.

City, who were 45 minutes from elimination from an oversized group, know the alternative was worse. Guardiola said: “When you finish 22nd, you cannot ask for any favour.” City didn’t get one in the draw, either, though as the alternative to Madrid was Bayern Munich, none was possible. “Always I believe what happens in football, normally you have to deserve it. And we didn’t deserve it.”

Not when their only Champions League wins this year have come against clubs from Slovakia, Czechia and Belgium. For defender Dias, whose four previous campaigns in Manchester produced four league titles, two Champions League finals and one treble, there was some understatement when he described it as “maybe the most difficult season so far”.

City have lost 11 games in three and a half months. The Portuguese nevertheless thinks they can win the Champions League. “I’m a firm believer that even in the most difficult scenario, the most difficult beginning, you can still achieve something beautiful in the end,” he said. “And right now, we’re still in that position.”