Real Madrid vs. Man City: Pep Guardiola out to avoid unwanted first in Champions League showdown

Pep Guardiola will endeavour to avoid an unwanted first in his managerial career when his Manchester City side lock horns with Real Madrid in a Champions League showdown at the Bernabeu on Wednesday night.

The Citizens landed in the Spanish capital on Tuesday evening and have arrived in high spirits after winning each of their last three Premier League games to move to within two points of leaders and title rivals Arsenal.

Chaotic victories for Man City over Leeds United (3-2) and Fulham (5-4) were followed by a comfortable 3-0 home success against Sunderland last weekend, and before the Citizens make the trip to Crystal Palace on Sunday, they must shift their focus to the Champions League for yet another blockbuster battle with Real Madrid.

Wednesday’s contest will represent the 15th meeting between City and Real in Europe’s premier club competition - since their first meeting in the 2012-13 season, it is already the most-played fixture in the competition in this period (14 matches).

Man City have struggled to get the better of their Spanish rivals in recent years, losing each of their last three encounters including a 6-3 aggregate defeat in last season’s Champions League playoff round.

Guardiola out to avoid five-game winless run against Real Madrid

As a manager with Barcelona, Bayern Munich and now Man City, Guardiola has faced Real Madrid a total of 27 times in all competitions; only against Arsenal (33), Chelsea and Manchester United (both 30) has he ever faced an opponent on more occasions.

Guardiola has won 48% of those games against Real Madrid (W13 D7 L7). However, the Catalan coach is winless in his last four against the Spanish giants (D2 L2) and should City fail to win on Wednesday, he will endure a five-match winless run against Los Blancos for the first time.

After only losing one of his first nine away matches against Real Madrid as a manager (W6 D2), Guardiola is winless in his last four trips to the Bernabeu (D2 L2) where his Man City side have conceded a total of 10 goals across those four matches (2.5 per game).

Guardiola is now working with a revamped Citizens squad, with many of his players new to this high-profile fixture, but he believes that the Bernabeu is the perfect place for them to shine, just like many of his former City stars have done before.

Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday evening, Guardiola said: “We were in a group stage, it’s different if you play in the last 16 or quarter-finals or semi-finals.

‘The Bernabeu is a good place to prove yourself,’ says Guardiola

“Last season we arrive with all the problems, but all the other games have been tight and good games. We have important players that have their first time here in Bernabeu.

“The biggest players that make a legacy for a decade - Kevin De Bruyne, [Kyle] Walker, [Ilkay] Gundogan, [John] Stones - are not here (the latter is injured). Many are new, they want to experience that.

“They want to know they have done it and can do it again. It’s a good place to prove yourself and how you are as a team.”

At the time of writing, Man City sit 10 in the 36-team Champions League table and are looking to return to winning ways in the League Phase after suffering a 2-0 home defeat to Bayer Leverkusen a fortnight ago.

Victory for the Citizens will strengthen their hopes of securing automatic qualification for the last 16 and would see them leapfrog Xabi Alonso's Real Madrid, who sit two points further ahead in sixth and claimed a thrilling 4-3 win over Olympiacos on matchday five.