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<\/div>\nPep Guardiola says it would be a \u201chuge mistake\u201d for Manchester City to look for \u201crevenge\u201d against Real Madrid in their Champions League semi-final.<\/p>\n
City led 5-3 on aggregate in the 90th minute of last year\u2019s semi-final second leg, but Madrid remarkably fought back.<\/p>\n
City boss Guardiola urged his team to use the rematch to prove they can beat the holders and eventually land Europe\u2019s biggest club prize.<\/p>\n
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\u201cWe\u2019re not here for revenge, we\u2019re here for an opportunity,\u201d said Guardiola.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened, happened in the past. It would be a huge mistake to think about that.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe lesson we learn from last year is not revenge, it is learn about what happened, get a good result, perform well and give the opportunity to leave the tie open in Manchester.\u201d<\/p>\n
After a 4-3 victory in the home leg last season, City extended their lead in the Bernabeu when Riyad Mahrez hammered in a 73rd-minute strike.<\/p>\n
But two late goals from Madrid substitute Rodrygo dramatically sent the tie into extra time, with Karim Benzema completing an incredible turnaround for Carlo Ancelotti\u2019s side by scoring a 95th-minute penalty.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not a big fan to talk about experiences as a positive or negative way,\u201d said Guardiola.<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course we have the same managers and 80% same players on both sides, but these are completely different games.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe played exceptional at home, it could not have been better. In Madrid, we played \u2013 not exceptional \u2013 but good. We did everything to reach the final but it is football.\u201d<\/p>\n
Guardiola confident City will land Champions League<\/strong><\/p>\n Little over a year since the 3-1 defeat, City have returned to Madrid for Tuesday\u2019s first leg of this season\u2019s semi-final.<\/p>\n The Spanish side \u2013 who went on to beat Liverpool in last year\u2019s final \u2013 go to Manchester for the second leg on 17 May.<\/p>\n \u201cThe difference this year is the second leg is at home. I\u2019m not sure if it is an advantage or disadvantage but I think everything will be decided in Manchester,\u201d said Guardiola.<\/p>\n City are aiming for a Treble of Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup, having moved clear of Arsenal in the domestic league and already booked their place against Manchester United in the Wembley final on 3 June.<\/p>\n Madrid look almost certain to miss out on the Spanish La Liga title to Barcelona and, having won the Copa del Rey on Saturday, it means they can put most of their focus on trying to be crowned European champions for the sixth time in the past 10 seasons.<\/p>\n Former Barcelona manager Guardiola conceded last year\u2019s exit in Madrid was \u201ctough\u201d, but says City remain on track to achieve their biggest goal of winning the Champions League.<\/p>\n \u201cOne day we will get it. We will get to the final and we will win it. We come here this season to do it,\u201d Guardiola, whose side lost to Chelsea in the 2021 final, said.<\/p>\n \u201cTo win this competition you have to beat the best teams and Madrid is the best team in this competition in the past decade.\u201d<\/p>\n City midfielder Rodri says his team have learned lessons from last year\u2019s defeat, although he contradicted his manager by saying the players have the \u201chunger of gaining revenge\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cWe did 180 minutes brilliant but it is not enough sometimes \u2013 you can lose the leg in five minutes,\u201d said the Spain international.<\/p>\n \u201cThe last minutes in the last leg we didn\u2019t handle the right way and we have to learn from that. We have to kill them when we can.\u201d<\/p>\n Ake misses training, Modric \u2018going to play\u2019 \u2013 team news<\/strong><\/p>\n City defender Nathan Ake was missing from the open section of his team\u2019s training session on Monday, leaving him a doubt for Tuesday\u2019s match.<\/p>\n Ake, 28, has only recently returned after a hamstring injury and was substituted during the second half of Saturday\u2019s win against Leeds United.<\/p>\n The Netherlands international has been outstanding at left-back for City since Joao Cancelo\u2019s loan move to Bayern Munich in January.<\/p>\n Ake was injured early in the second half of Manchester City\u2019s home win against Leeds United on Saturday<\/em><\/p>\n Veteran midfielder Luka Modric is set to return to Real Madrid\u2019s starting line-up after fully recovering from an unspecified injury.<\/p>\n The 37-year-old Croatia international, who won the Ballon d\u2019Or in 2018, has recovered quicker than initially thought and came on as a late substitute in Saturday\u2019s Copa del Rey final victory against Osasuna.<\/p>\n \u201cHe can play without problem,\u201d said Ancelotti. \u201cHe is going to play.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2018Unstoppable\u2019 City not all about Haaland, Kroos laughs off Rooney comments<\/strong><\/p>\n City\u2019s bid for the Treble of the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League \u2013 only achieved once before in English football, by Manchester United in 1998-99 \u2013 has been spearheaded by the goals of Erling Haaland.<\/p>\n The 22-year-old Norway striker, signed from Borussia Dortmund for \u00a351m last summer, has scored 51 goals in 46 games this season, including 12 in eight Champions League matches.<\/p>\n \u201cObviously Haaland is a very dangerous player. He\u2019s showing impressive qualities, above all in goalscoring. He\u2019s a threat,\u201d Ancelotti said.<\/p>\n \u201cJust talking about Haaland means not talking about a complete team that plays good football, defends well, attacks, that has ideas.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re not setting up for a game to stop Haaland, but to stop a team that seems unstoppable, but I think we can have chances to have an equal game, one that we can win.\u201d<\/p>\n Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos referenced last season\u2019s extraordinary comeback when he laughed off former England striker Wayne Rooney\u2019s suggestion\u00a0City would \u201cblow away\u201d the Spanish side in this year\u2019s tie.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was the same a year ago, no? That Madrid were out, and we did it,\u201d Kroos said.<\/p>\n \u201cI remember words from last year, not Rooney\u2019s \u2013 who is a guy I like a lot, apart from what he said \u2013 but it doesn\u2019t affect us.<\/p>\n \u201cIt doesn\u2019t motivate us more either, because it\u2019s impossible to be more motivated than we are.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n![\"Nathan](\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/_129588877_ake.jpg\")
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