Pep Guardiola believes it is only a matter of time until Manchester City win the UEFA Champions League, as they prepare to face the holders and 14-time champions Real Madrid tonight.
Man City are away from home in the first leg of the semi-final, having lost 6-5 on aggregate to Real in a thrilling tie at the same stage last season.
“We arrived here last season with encouragement to get to the final,” said Guardiola in his pre-match press conference. “We played really good in both games, but it was not enough. But what happened in the past is the past. We are not here for revenge. It’s just another opportunity.
“As much as we are here, one day we will get it. One day we will reach the final and we will win it. We come here to do this this season.
“Last season we also came here to reach the final and win it. But it didn’t happen because we played against Real Madrid and in this competition they know exactly what they have to do. As much as we play against them or the other top teams in Europe, much closer we will be.”
'They are the king of the competition'
Midfielder Rodri says City have learned important lessons from last season's semi-final, when they led 5-3 on aggregate after 89 minutes of the second leg in Madrid but then conceded three times at the death.
“We respect a lot Real Madrid,” he said, sitting alongside Guardiola at the press conference. “They are the king of the competition, but we have weapons, and they know that. We are in a good moment. We have weapons and we trust 100 per cent we are able to qualify [for the final].
“I have the philosophy and so do my team-mates that you can learn from past experience. We did 180 minutes brilliantly [last season] but it’s not enough. Sometimes you lose the leg in five minutes. The last minutes in that leg we didn't handle it in the right way.
"We learn from that. Football is like this. I don't like to talk much about the past. We changed a lot of things. And the way we are coming now is another year, another goal, and we will fight again like last season, but with the hunger of getting revenge.”