Savinho has said Manchester City will have no fear when they line up against Real Madrid and revealed there was “calm” in the dressing room when they found out they were facing a blockbuster tie against the Spanish giants.
The Champions League playoff, which kicks-off at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday, will be the fifth time the two teams have been drawn against each other in the last five years.
City will start as underdogs as they continue to battle through a tough season. But Savinho said there is a quiet confidence within the squad because Pep Guardiola’s team are so used to big games.
“These are the games that I came to Manchester City to play in and every big player wants to play in them, so not just me, but many experienced players who are in the dressing room,” he told ESPN.
“These are the games for the big players, the big managers. They are great games to watch, great games to play in and hopefully Manchester City can come out with two victories over these two legs.
“It was a calm atmosphere [when the draw was made]. We’re used to it, we played them a lot over recent seasons. It’s such a beautiful tie.
“We stayed calm, of course we had no choice. We couldn’t choose who our opponents would be, but we’re just waiting to get out onto the pitch.”
Real Madrid travel to Manchester still top of LaLiga despite their 1-1 draw with neighbours Atlético Madrid on Sunday.
Savinho said he knows what to expect from Madrid after spending last season in Spain with Girona. He also knows two of their stars, VinÃcius Júnior and Rodrygo, from the Brazil national team.
“It’s a team I know a lot,” he said. “They have great players. Real Madrid are among the best teams in the world, so we hope to put on a great show. It’s going to be a great tie to watch, a great tie to play in. Hopefully luck is on our side and Manchester City can progress.”
City bounced back from the 5-1 defeat to Arsenal with a narrow 2-1 win over League One side Leyton Orient in the FA Cup on Saturday. They’re slowly starting to rebuild their campaign, with two defeats from their last 11 games following a run of nine defeats in 12 games before Christmas.
“It’s been a difficult season, especially compared to the recent ones that we’ve had,” Savinho admitted. “This is a team that’s won four Premier Leagues in a row, so of course it’s very different. The supporters who come here, they’re used to seeing us win the treble, win four in a row and this is something else for them.
“But in football it’s not all sunshine and flowers. We have to focus and we’ve really got to focus on how we can improve.”
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