Manchester, Jan 31 : Manchester City and Real Madrid, two clubs that have dominated European football in the past decade, have once again been drawn to meet in the knockout phase of the UEFA Champions League. Man City head coach Pep Guardiola labelled the clash between the two giants as a derby after the two clubs have faced off four years in a row.

"It feels like a derby already. Four years in a row facing Real Madrid. But Bayern or Madrid - both were really tough. Hopefully, we can arrive in the first leg here, and then at Madrid, as best as possible."

It will be the fifth two-legged tie between the two clubs in the last six seasons, with both sides progressing through two of the previous four stretching back to 2019/20. Last season's meeting ended in a penalty shootout at the Etihad, with Real winning and eventually going on to lift the trophy itself. The 2022/23 campaign saw City demolish Real at the Etihad in the semifinal stage in one of the greatest European nights in the Club's history on the way to winning a historic Treble.

The Spaniard also took the time to acknowledge the congested fixture schedule his club faces, with them competing for the FA Cup and UCL alongside the Premier League. He went on to state that the schedule in the PL has always been amongst the toughest in Europe.

"We already start in Paris and then face Chelsea, so we are already there in a number of difficult games. The schedule is what it is. In the Premier League, every team has to play everyone. But normally in the Premier League, they always put the toughest schedules for teams in Europe.

"Schedule the most difficult ones because it is tough to play against Real Madrid or Bayern Munich, but the problem is in the middle is Newcastle. They are always so kind for the calendar, so many years, always happens in that way," he added.

/IANS