Manchester City defender Ruben Dias remains optimistic about his side’s season despite a challenging campaign.
Pep Guardiola’s men host Real Madrid in the Champions League play-off first leg on Tuesday, aiming to secure a last-16 spot after finishing 22nd in the group stage. A victory over two legs would set up a tie against either Atletico Madrid or Bayer Leverkusen.
City have also struggled in the Premier League and currently sit fifth, 15 points behind leaders Liverpool. However, Dias, one of City’s vice-captains, believes his team can still make a strong finish.
“This has been the most difficult season since I have been here, but I am a firm believer that even in the most difficult moments, you can still achieve something beautiful,” said the Portugal international.
“We know how tough it will be to go through, but we have plenty of weapons in the dressing room. We just have to use them the right way.”
City and Madrid have developed one of the Champions League’s biggest modern rivalries, meeting in the knockout stages for the fourth consecutive season. Madrid won on penalties in last year’s quarter-finals before going on to claim their 15th European title.
Their latest clash comes amid lingering tension after Real Madrid players snubbed the Ballon d’Or ceremony in protest of Rodri being named the world’s best player over Vinicius Jr. While City viewed the gesture as disrespectful, Dias downplayed the issue.
“Being honest with you, I didn’t spend one-second thinking about it,” he said. “I was happy for Rodri. Vinicius had an extraordinary year and also deserved it. It’s like in the past when [Lionel] Messi and Cristiano [Ronaldo] were fighting for it.”
With City aiming to salvage their season, all eyes will be on their showdown with Madrid as they seek to make a statement in Europe.
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