- Madrid clinched a thriller over City last season
- Went on to win 6-5 on aggregate after extra time
- Guardiola not vying for revenge
WHAT HAPPENED? City were beaten by eventual champions Real Madrid by a 6-5 aggregate scoreline at the same stage of the Champions League last year and now they have an opportunity to make amends.
However, Guardiola is not vying for revenge and wants to make the most of the lessons learnt from the past when they face the Spanish giants on Tuesday in the first leg of the semi-final at the Santiago Bernabeu.
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WHAT THEY SAID: "We are not here for revenge. What happened, happened in the past. The lesson we can learn is to learn a little bit what happened, get a good result and perform well tomorrow to give us the opportunity to reach the final when we play in Manchester. This is completely different to last season," he told reporters.
"It didn't happen last season because we played Real Madrid and they know what to do. But the more we play against them the more we learn. One year later we are here again. After what happened last season, it’s a good point for us."
Next Match
THE BIGGER PICTURE: However, Guardiola did admit that it was hard for him to take last season's loss, especially as they controlled the tie and led 5-3 on aggregate headed into injury time. Yet, a brace from Rodrygo and a Karim Benzema penalty saw them go down in extra time which was like the "end of the world" for the Spanish tactician.
"Seven years ago we wanted to win the Champions League. Last season it was [like] the end of the world but here we are again. Being stable is the most important thing. The important thing is we are trying to get better every year," he continued.
"We were prepared last year too. We are the same manager, mainly the same players but completely different games. The difference is the second leg is at home and everything will be decided in Manchester."
IN THREE PHOTOS:
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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT? Manchester City will be looking to take an advantage from the first leg of the Champions League semi-final fixture against Real Madrid to the Etihad Stadium for the return leg on May 17.