In Nyon, fate brought them together once again. Real Madrid and Manchester City will meet in the Champions League for yet another season, and Emilio Butragueño reacted to the draw with calm confidence.

“It’s curious that we play them every year — I think it’s five seasons in a row now,” the Real Madrid director noted after the ceremony.

“We know each other very well,” he added, suggesting there will be few surprises between two sides so familiar with one another. However, Butragueño was quick to underline the magnitude of the challenge ahead. “They have a great team — not just a great starting eleven, but a great squad. That gives Guardiola many options.”

He highlighted City’s depth and tactical flexibility as key factors in what promises to be a demanding tie. The fact that the first leg will be played at the Santiago Bernabéu also shapes Madrid’s approach. “That forces us to get a strong result that we can defend in Manchester,” he explained.

Butragueño expects an open, high-intensity encounter. “Whenever we face them, it’s attacking football. Both teams want to dominate, and that usually means plenty of goals,” he said, even describing the clash as “one of the best matches you can watch in world football.”

Internally, he acknowledged concerns over injuries within the squad. “We have important players who are currently sidelined. We hope they’ll be ready because we will need everyone against an opponent of this level.”

Despite the challenges, his closing message was one of belief and excitement. “We are really looking forward to it. This competition means so much to us, and we have complete faith in our players’ ability to rise to the occasion.”

********************************************************

You can now download the Madridista News App for free on the Apple Store and Google Play.

You can follow us on Facebook here.

You can follow us on X (Twitter) here.                                                                    

You can follow us on Instagram here.

You can subscribe to our YouTube channel here.

You can follow us on Telegram here.

You can follow us on TikTok here.

You can join our WhatsApp channel here.