Manchester City can still save the “difficult” season

Manchester City defender Robin Das remains optimistic about his team’s chances of winning silver despite his confrontation with what he describes as a “more difficult” season.

Pep Guardiola will face the Real Madrid champion in the first stage of the Champions League league match on Tuesday.

This comes after City 22 occupied the group stage, and it is a setback now hoped to overcome it against its current owners.

The victory over the legs will secure a place in the last 16, where they will face either Atletico Madrid or Bayer Leverkusen.

However, City has also faced difficulties in their local campaign, which is currently in the fifth place in the Premier League and 15 points backward.

“This has been the most difficult season since I was here, but I am very believed that even in the most difficult moments, you can still achieve something beautiful,” said Dias.

“I did not spend one second thinking if it is not respected” 🤷‍

Robin Dias was only focusing on Rodri when he won the Ballon D’Or Award#BCFOTBALL pic.twitter.com/ouyvtmgc5t

BBC Sport (BBCSport) February 10, 2025

“We know how difficult it is, but we have a lot of weapons in the dressing room. We just have to use it in the right way.”

This is the fourth consecutive season – and the fifth in six years – in which the city and Madrid clashed in the Champions League exit rounds.

The Spanish giants won victory through a penalty kick in the quarter -finals last season before they won their fifteenth European title during the era of Carlo Ancelotti.

With both teams winning a confrontation for each of them in previous meetings, Guardiola described their competition as one of the most important teams in the era of the modern Champions League.

This next match also comes in the wake of the controversy, as the Madrid players boycotted the Ballon D’or party in protest after Rodri won the title of best player in the world on Vinicius JR.

According to City, the absence of Madrid is a sign of disrespect, but Dias, who was present in Paris alongside Rodri, reduced any effect from the accident.

The Portuguese defender added: “To be honest with you, I did not finally think about the matter.”

“I was happy with Rodri. Vinicius was an extraordinary year and deserved it as well. It seems as in the past when (Lionel) Messi and Cristiano (Ronaldo) were fighting for him.”