Man City star admits 'I don't know what's going on in their head' as huge clash looms
Man City star admits 'I don't know what's going on in their head' as huge clash looms
Share:
Manchester City defender Manuel Akanji has stopped himself from trying to second-guess the Premier League champions' opponents after being given a do-or-die Euro showdown with Real Madrid. City kept their Champions League dream alive in nervy fashion, coming from behind to beat Club Brugge in their must-win final league phase game. Their lowly overall position means they'll have to do things the hard way if they're to reach the round of 16, with reigning champions Madrid lying in wait.
Pep Guardiola's side have been welcoming players back from injury, and are in better shape as they prepare to take on Arsenal on Sunday. The reverse fixture ended 2-2, but more tellingly saw City midfielder Rodri suffer an ACL tear which has kept him out of action since. Akanji has been available more often than most, featuring in 19 of City's 23 league games and seven out of eight in Europe. Speaking ahead of Sunday's match, he maintained he and his team-mates will be focusing fully on Arsenal before attempting to deal with the Madrid task.
"We have to go match by match, game by game, we've got Arsenal next and we've got to recover really well now," Akanji told Flashscore. "It's an important game for us. It won't be easy for us away, so we've got to recover well after (the Club Brugge win) and we've got to be ready for the challenge.". City ended as one of four teams on 11 points after the Champions League league phase, with only three making it into the playoffs, but the former Borussia Dortmund defender is looking forward rather than back.
"That wasn't the way we wanted it to be, but here we are right now, and I'm still confident we can beat whoever comes next," he added. "I don't know what's going on in their head. I think we can beat every team in Europe, so whoever comes, we're ready for the challenge.". Will Manchester City win their play-off against Real Madrid? Have your say in the comments section. Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti insisted his team's preparation won't change following the draw. "It doesn't change anything. We all want the perfect world but there isn't one," he said.
"We lost one game and we weren't able to get into the top eight. It's OK, play two games more or less. They will be two difficult and entertaining games, but we have the resources to win them.". Both legs of the play-off will be held during February, with City - the lower-ranked team - playing at home first. The winner of the two-legged encounter will take on either Bayer Leverkusen or Atletico Madrid in the round of 16.
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read ourPrivacy Notice. Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle in an unbeatable new deal that saves £192 and includes 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.
