Pep Guardiola is hunting down his first Champions League title with Manchester City (Picture: Getty Images)
Wayne Rooney is backing Manchester City to ‘blow Real Madrid away’ when they meet in the Champions League semi-finals, with the first leg on Tuesday night in Spain.
Pep Guardiola is still looking for his first Champions League title with City, but this looks to be an excellent chance to lift the giant trophy this season.
The Premier League champions were Rooney’s tip for the Champions League from the start of the season and given the form they have been showing in recent weeks, he is as confident in them as ever.
Real Madrid are always a serious threat in the Champions League, and although they are having a disappointing La Liga campaign they remain dangerous, but Rooney can only see City having too much for them.
‘Manchester City will not just beat Real Madrid in their Champions League semi-final — they’ll blow them away,’ Rooney wrote in The Tmes.
‘Of course, I may be wrong. There is no side better at disproving arguments against them than Carlo Ancelotti’s Madrid in the Champions League. But I just think City are so good that they’re on another level.
‘Since the start of the season I’ve felt this would be the campaign when Pep Guardiola would finally conquer Europe with City and the incredible football his team have played over the past couple of months — and the way they are peaking at the right time — has only strengthened that belief.’
The main issue for Real Madrid to deal with is clearly Erling Haaland, who has scored 12 goals in the competition so far this campaign, four more than any other player.
Rooney doesn’t fancy their chances of handling the record-breaking forward, who has scored an incredible 51 goals in all competitions this season.
‘How do Madrid stop him?’ Rooney mused. ‘Well, in Antonio Rüdiger they have a great competitor who, as a defender, likes one-on-one battles. Even so, I don’t think the Germany defender can handle Haaland, to be honest.
‘With Haaland’s speed and power, and his movement around the box, I don’t think any centre half in the world can handle him. The only way to stop him is through collective effort.
‘You can never write off a collective with Madrid’s experience and history— but I wouldn’t put money on them. I believe this is City’s year.’
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‘They’ll blow them away.’