Real Madrid – Manchester City: Zidane tests against Guardiola his impeccable currculum in the Champions League | Champions League 2019

The French, who never lost a European tie, faces the first without Cristiano. His attack, an unknown

• Bouquets
  

  “This is where coughs are seen, children must be left aside.”
  

• Guardiola
  

  Praise to Madrid: “In the Champions League there is no one like them”
  

The only time Pep GuardiolaAs a coach, I lost in Bernabu I didn't have Messi on his team. It was with Bayern, in 2014, in that 1-0 that I opened a qualifying round in the return with white win at the Allianz. Naked of genius, the Catalan coach has been looking for the glory of the Champions for years. This Wednesday will face a technician who is also tested in the great competition without the weapon that helped him in his previous stage, when he won three European Cups of the pull.

With Cristiano Ronaldo In their ranks, the French never lost a tie, leaving the fiercest shields on the continent on the way. Rome, Bayern, Naples, PSG, Juventus, Atletico… City Tumble itself in 2016 with a lonely goal of Gareth Bale, one of the options that he has in his hand this time to recompose the attack, after the unfortunate message of Eden Hazard.

Because of the height of Zidane's commitment and background, almost everyone in Valdebebas assumed that the gals formed an offensive partner with Karim Benzema. The boss will forget once again the gray season of 11, between poor performance, constant absences due to physical problems and improper scorers (two goals to Villarreal in the League in September, and one to the Unionists). Before that, the good star of the striker in the nights of etiquette and his game areo. Isco, to form a drawing with five midfielders, or Vinicius will be other possible cards, but they may remain as alternatives for the second part.

The calendar places Madrid in a week of tremendous demand just when things have been twisted, after the undoubted growth that led from October. Hazard's injury is the saddest shot at a series of bad results that have made him lose the head of the League and fall eliminated in the Cup. With the touch touched, whites receive two of his historical ogres, Guardiola and Messi, one behind another.

Both in good times and in bad times, this Wednesday's party splashing on Sunday's classic. A good result against the City will be the best impulse to receive the Bara on Sunday (9:00 p.m.), just as, in the opposite direction, a European stumble will influence. There is a return in Manchester and there will be three months of League still, but in the white costumes the feeling of being before two finals has grown in the last few hours. In fact, the round of 16 in the Champions League, after the belly of a year ago with Ajax, is faced as a real challenge. Without Cristiano and, now without Hazard, they are convinced that if they manage to overcome the English, they will boost their confidence in the tournament they dominated not so long ago.

Flowers to Guardiola

Zidane intends that his people recover the solidity of the one that made flag in the last months. Rigor back and control of the ball, with its reinforced spinal cord (Casemiro ms Valverde), waiting to take advantage of the occasions, many or few, that they generate. Just what they did not do on Saturday before Levante. In his favor, that the atmosphere of Chamartn be a big night and that Manchester City arrives with doubts, evicted in the Premier, and under the pressure of the punishment that UEFA has placed on the club, sanctioned for two seasons without Champions for their irregularities Financial

Zidane parked the rivalry to put Guardiola through the clouds. The coach of Madrid does not forget how well his colleague treated him a few years ago, when he was preparing for the benches. I spent a few days with him when I led Bayern, talking about how to manage a team and he was very sincere, open and learned many things talking to him. There were many talks and he was very sincere. It was very interesting, he recalled the only technician in the history of the competition that has won it three times in a row. Such palmars does not prevent him from looking admiringly at his rival. Guardiola is the best coach in the world because he has always shown it. First in Barcelona, ​​then in Bayern, now in City. There are many coaches in football, but for me the best is l, he insisted.

Flowers before the duel more even and with more morbidity of this round. We are not afraid to play against Guardiola, ZZ closes.