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Real Madrid midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni has warned Manchester City ahead of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final tie.
Los Blancos host the Cityzens at the Santiago Bernabeu in the first leg on April 9 and travel to the Etihad for the reverse fixture on April 17. Speaking ahead of the blockbuster clash, Tchouameni said (via @MadridXtra):
"Man City? We are Real Madrid, we can't be afraid. They knocked us out last year and we'll be out for revenge, we'll want to show who Los Blancos is. To be the best, you have to beat the best. We'll take game after game to lift the trophy in June."
The Spanish giants have won the Champions League a record 14 times, while the Cityzens won this competition for the first time last season. En route to the trophy, Manchester City beat Real Madrid 5-1 on aggregate in the semi-final.
Despite Tchouameni's confidence, it will be a tricky task to get past the current holders. Pep Guardiola's side are in the midst of another excellent season; they currently find themselves third in the league, a point behind leaders Arsenal, and have made the semi-final of the FA Cup.
Real Madrid themselves are top of La Liga, eight-points clear of arch-rivals and second-placed Barcelona.
Tchouameni has made 31 appearances across competitions this season, bagging two goals and an assist.
Antonio Rudiger unhappy with Real Madrid's performance in latest Champions League fixture
Although Real Madrid managed to beat RB Leipzig 2-1 on aggregate in their round-of-16 Champions League meeting, defender Antonio Rudiger wasn't pleased by their performance.
The second leg, which was played on March 6, saw the German side put together a comprehensive performance. They took 20 shots compared to Los Blancos' 11, with four of those finidng the target.
Disappointed with his side's showing, Rudiger said (via CNN):
"They played well and we played bad. I don't think we were thinking about the first game, we were sloppy. We were slow, zero intensity, we didn't get in the challengers, and in the Champions League, you can get punished for this."
Before Los Blancos face Manchester City in the quarter-final, they have a La Liga tie to get through. After the ongoing international break, Carlo Ancelotti's men host Athletic Club at the Santiago Bernabeu on March 31.
