Pep Guardiola said Manchester City have learnt valuable lessons from their long-running Champions League rivalry with Real Madrid after they were pitted against the Spanish club in Friday’s last 16 draw.
Guardiola’s side will face Real over two legs in March in their latest showdown with the 15-time European champions.
City and Real have met in 15 previous matches in the Champions League, including a 2-1 win for the Premier League club in the group stage in Madrid in December.
Real have knocked City out of the Champions League for the past two seasons, winning 6-3 on aggregate in the play-off round last term and triumphing in a quarter-final penalty shoot-out in 2023-24.
They also met in the 2022 and 2023 semi-finals, with Real winning the first clash and City going through three years ago.
Guardiola believes the challenge of facing the most successful club in Champions League history has sharpened his squad’s desire to succeed at the highest level.
“For our club when you play against the best teams in the whole history of this competition, you learn and improve and are better for the future,” Guardiola said.
Guardiola led City to their first Champions League crown in 2023 as part of the club’s iconic treble-winning campaign.
For now, he is focused on keeping City in the hunt for the seventh Premier League title of his reign.
They head to Leeds on Saturday trailing leaders Arsenal by five points but with the destiny of the title in their own hands.
City have a game in hand on Arsenal and host the Gunners in April.
If Guardiola’s team win their last 11 league games, they will be guaranteed to take the title no matter what Arsenal do in their final 10 matches.
While Guardiola is a veteran of numerous successful title races, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is still waiting to lift the trophy.
Arteta has won only the 2020 FA Cup during his time at Arsenal, with the Gunners finishing as runners-up for the last three seasons.
Arsenal blew substantial leads over City in 2023 and 2024 and have wobbled again this season, prompting criticism of their ability to handle the pressure.
“I don’t remember. I’m not here to give advice to Mikel,” Guardiola said when asked if he could recall how it felt to strive for a first title.
Guardiola said Abdukodir Khusanov, Rayan Ait-Nouri, Rayan Cherki and Omar Marmoush — City’s Muslim players — will be available to face Leeds during the Ramadan fasting period.
“They follow this religious tradition and we have good nutritionists who adapt for what the team needs,” the City boss said.
“I think they’re used to it, they’re not young and used to playing in this period. It’s not their first time and we know how to handle it.
“They’re in touch with the doctors and will adapt but they know what to do.”
