may not convey up his half-century. Latest historical past suggests he’ll, provided that and contrive to face one another yearly, at some stage or one other. For Guardiola, the previous Barcelona ball boy turned supervisor, in a profession that included the captaincy as properly, it’s a forty ninth assembly with the arch-enemies.
He performed towards them 21 occasions, has managed towards them on 27 events. Guardiola towards Actual has felt one of many defining battles of the twenty first century. His Barcelona in all probability rank because the most interesting facet of the millennium; and but, since he turned a coach, he has received three Champions Leagues and Actual have received six. That might appear a crushing defeat for his footballing idealism, or merely clarify why Guardiola all the time calls Actual “the kings of Europe”.
Guardiola will tackle his nemesis Actual Madrid for the forty ninth time as a participant or supervisor (Getty Photos)
In newer occasions, Guardiola towards Actual may bein one other manner. It was new cash towards previous, the Premier League towards La Liga, the UAE towards the European Tremendous League. If tectonic plates have been perpetually shifting, maybe they didn’t transfer as a lot as many anticipated. Metropolis conquered Europe as soon as, in 2023, however they didn’t dominate it as some predicted. Arguably, although, it was solely Actual who held them at bay: within the final 4 seasons, Metropolis both received the competitors or have been knocked out by Actual.
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But final season’s was an exit with a distinction: the workforce who got here twenty second within the group stage, who misplaced to Sporting CP and Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain, would have gone out anyway. The ending blows have been utilized sleekly by , together with his hat-trick within the Bernabeu, however .
Defeat on the Bernabeu final season was the primary time that Guardiola had been eradicated from the Champions League earlier than the last-16 (Getty Photos)
The context has shifted once more now. If Metropolis lose within the Spanish capital, they won’t be out, although it is extremely doubtless they’ll find yourself within the play-off spherical for a second successive season. It displays a broader sense: Actual towards Metropolis might not be a conflict of the continental superpowers, as a result of solely considered one of them belongs in that class. This will likely have been the primary season of Guardiola administration – with the potential exception of 2016-17 – when his facet weren’t within the high tier of favourites for the . Metropolis in all probability belong within the second bracket now, beneath a number of groups with Guardiola influences.
Actual are within the high group, regardless of Sunday’s defeat to Celta Vigo, the sense of discontent across the Bernabeu and . They’ve solely received two of their final seven video games however it’s however removed from implausible they are going to be celebrating “La Decimosexta” in Budapest in Could.
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And if not them, then somebody who owes a lot to Guardiola, however isn’t at . The Catalan’s disciples have grouped close to the highest of the desk – after 5 rounds of the Champions League, the groups in first, second, third, fifth and seventh have been managed by his former assistants, gamers or teammates.
Guardiola’s disciplesin the Champions League this season
Arsenal – Mikel Arteta, former assistant
PSG – Luis Enrique, former team-mate
Bayern Munich – Vincent Kompany, former participant
Actual Madrid – Xabi Alonso, former participant
Chelsea – Enzo Maresca, former assistant
Maybe his data has been shared a bit too broadly, maybe everyone seems to be a bit Pep. Or possibly, given this Metropolis facet lack management and have much less possession than their predecessors, Guardiola isn’t the one enjoying pure Guardiola soccer lately anyway.
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A technique or one other, the Metropolis-Actual rivalry might have been taken down a notch. The. received it; not for the yr when he delivered the decider within the Champions League last, however 12 months later, in 2024. The Actual vote was cut up with second, Jude Bellingham third and Dani Carvajal fourth.
It feels a second in time, relatively than the epic duel between Actual’s Cristiano Ronaldo and Barcelona’s Lionel Messi. In 2025, the Brazilian completed sixteenth within the voting, the sidelined Spaniard nowhere; neither was a rival to the winner Ousmane Dembele. The injured is not going to play within the Bernabeu on Wednesday. The out-of-sorts Vinicius in all probability will however has gone 11 video games with out a objective. Actual’s brightest star is now clearly Mbappe; Vinicius appears reluctant to signal a brand new contract and has had a troublesome relationship with Alonso. Metropolis supporters unveiledat the Etihad Stadium in February, with the message “Cease Crying Your Coronary heart Out”, however lately his battles appear to be with these contained in the Bernabeu.
Vinicius Junior has failed to attain in his final 11 video games (Reuters)
It’s a place that has introduced Guardiola pleasure and heartbreak; maybe in that order. He received within the Bernabeu 5 occasions with Barcelona, solely as soon as since leaving: a 2-1 victory in 2020, which, because the second leg was delayed 5 months by Covid, is understandably missed.
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Since then, Guardiola has overseen two gorgeous semi-final wins on the Etihad: a 4-3 that was then overturned dramatically late in Spain and a 4-0 that in impact topped Metropolis as one of the best workforce in Europe. It’s only two and a half years in the past but it surely appears a distinct period. With Guardiola’s contract up in 2027, he might end with three Champions Leagues; it stays to be seen how lengthy Metropolis are within the band of the one-time winners. Actual, whether or not beneath Alonso or anybody else, ought to get to 16 in the end. And possibly sooner.