Manchester City and Real Madrid to play second leg at Etihad Stadium
The English team, Manchester City, has the advantage in the confrontation against Real Madrid after winning 2-1 in the first leg at the Santiago Bernabeu. The decisive match will be played on August 7 at the Etihad Stadium. The winner will face the winner of the match between Olympique Lyon and Juventus in the quarterfinals in Lisbon on August 15.
Pep Guardiola confident in facing Real Madrid
"If we think about the next round, the competition's reigning champion, Real Madrid, will eliminate us. If there is someone in this club who knows Real Madrid, it's me. I know their potential, their history, and the type of game we must play. Now we focus on Brighton, and then we will continue preparing for Arsenal. After that, we could have two matches before Real Madrid," Guardiola stated.
The Catalan coach also pointed out that "the best way to prepare is by playing Premier League matches with rhythm". He also announced that Argentine forward Sergio 'Kun' Aguero will not have enough time to recover from his knee injury and will not be able to play against Real Madrid.
Txiki Begiristain, Director of Football at Manchester City, also advised focusing on the match against Real Madrid if they want to progress, and then they will see which opponent they face. "We have played against Lyon and Juventus in recent seasons in the Champions League. Both would be great opponents," he said.