“We respect Real Madrid a lot but we fear nothing”
MADRID, 8 May. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Manchester City midfielder Rodri Hernandez
“I think that football gives you the opportunity to work on your revenge, but my philosophy and that of the team is also that you can always learn from previous experiences. We had two very good games, but football is like that”, he assured in the round press.
And it is that in the semifinal of the last edition of the ‘Champions’, City beat Real Madrid (4-3) at the Etihad and was winning 0-1 at the Bernabéu until, in discount, the white team turned the game around and the tie (3-1).
“We will fight with enthusiasm and the feeling that we have done very well and we arrived at the best moment, and learn about what we can improve on what we did wrong. We respect Real Madrid a lot, they are the king of this competition, but we have our weapons, in a great moment and we fear nothing”, assured the Spanish international.
“Football is like that sometimes. We played 170 minutes brilliantly but it wasn’t enough, we didn’t manage the last 5 minutes properly. It’s a different year, a different goal, and we’re going to fight with the same smile we had during the season past,” he added.
From that 2022 semifinal, Rodri assured that the team learned many things, such as from the final that they lost in 2021. “They are accumulated experiences that have brought us here and that allow us to fight against the best team in this competition,” he argued.
In addition, he believes that in this first leg, now in the Spanish capital, the tie will not be closed. “We know that the return remains and that nothing is going to be decided, we are one hundred percent confident in passing this tie,” he said.
On the other hand, he spoke about Erling Haaland and his adaptation to the ‘citizen’ team. “At first the team had a bit of a hard time finding out how he understood the team’s game, but now he has a broader vision because I look at more things than the goal,” he appreciated.
“For us Haaland is a very important player, since the beginning of the season. We have never doubted his ability to score goals, it is something he was born for, he has fit in perfectly and he knows how to move”, highlighted the Norwegian.
In addition, on a personal level, he assured that he is a “very simple” person. “He’s still 22 and we don’t realize how young he is. He moves so well and he’s so humble, he wants to listen to everyone… And he’s hungry to get better,” she celebrated.
Globally, with the Premier League lead regained, he believes they are at their best. “We have changed a bit compared to last year and three years ago. We have been very good in recent months. If we want to finish it, we have to give our best in this last month,” he acknowledged.
“The philosophy we have pushes us every year to be better and better, new players arrive and we try to show that level of ambition. You must have the right mentality to fight as a small team because if you don’t get confused, and then we have players from the highest quality,” he concluded.