Real Madrid forward, Rodrygo has expressed his challenge in facing Manchester City in the Champions League.
During his pre-match press conference ahead of the first leg of the Champions League play-off at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday night, he remarked, “I don’t like playing against Manchester City so much. Nobody likes playing against City as much as playing against us.
“I was happy after many games against them, and I hope tomorrow’s game will be one of them.
“I scored several goals against them. I was happy in some ties and not so happy in others.
“It’s always difficult to play against them. I’m in very good form, and I think I can be decisive and help the team.
“I’m not only trying to be decisive against Manchester City but also other teams.”
Kick-off for the match between Man City and Real Madrid is scheduled for 9 pm Nigerian time.
In officiating duties, UEFA has appointed referee Clément Turpin for this highly anticipated clash. This will mark the eighth occasion that Turpin has overseen a Champions League game involving Real Madrid.
His previous officiating highlights include Real Madrid’s commanding 4-0 victory against Ludogorets during the 2014-2015 season and a significant 2-0 win over AS Roma in the 2018-2019 campaign.
Turpin has also been in charge of Real Madrid’s thrilling 3-2 win against Inter Milan in the 2020-2021 season and their 3-1 victory against Chelsea in the quarter-finals of the 2021/22 season.
Most notably, he officiated Real Madrid’s 1-0 triumph against Liverpool in the Champions League final in the 2021-2022 season. More recently, he was the referee for Madrid’s 3-2 victory over Napoli in the Champions League group stage last season and their 2-2 draw with Bayern Munich in the semi-finals.
Going into the match, Real Madrid are looking to bounce back from a recent 1-1 draw against Atletico Madrid in La Liga, while Manchester City enter the game on a positive note after a 2-1 win against Leyton Orient in the FA Cup.