Friday’s quarter-final draw in Switzerland pitted Guardiola’s City against Carlo Ancelotti’s Real for the third season in a row.
It’s a mouthwatering scenario that again pits defending European champions City against the 14-times record Champions League winners.
The two sides have met at the semi-final stage over the past seasons, Real securing a dramatic 6-5 aggregate win in 2022 before City swept the Spanish giants aside 5-1 over two legs last term.
Looking ahead to next month’s latest two meetings, Pep said they would be occasions to both savour and enjoy.
“It’s a bit like a tradition, three years in a row playing the king of the competition who have won 14 Champions Leagues,” Guardiola declared.
“It is what it is, hopefully we can have a good moment.
“[There are] still a few weeks before the first game in Madrid. We’ll see.
“The draw you cannot control.
“Normally when the people say the draw is easy, you undermine the other opponents.
“It’s not necessary to say what Real Madrid is in this competition, the second leg is at home but two seasons ago it was away, so it is what it is.
“We have to do two good games there and here to go through.”
Further reacting to the draw at Friday’s pre-match press conference ahead of Saturday’s FA Cup quarter-final with Newcastle, the City boss was also asked whether meeting Real once again carried any extra special significance for him given his illustrious background as a legendary former Barcelona player and manager.
“I would say for us it’s a little bit new, for Real Madrid it’s not special to play the quarter-final of the UEFA Champions League,” Pep pointed out.
“For us in the last years we have been quite consistent, many times in the final, semi-final, final, now the quarter-final again.
“We start to be in this routine of being in the latter stages and when you play in the last stages you play the best in Europe.
“Real Madrid also is there. Sometimes the draw decides, sometimes we are through, sometimes we are out.
“I don’t pay much attention to any one opponent. All the opponents are really, really tough.
“We are excited because it’s a privilege every time we’re here, in the last 16 or quarter-final always it is. It is a special competition.
“I’ve said many times, I don’t know which one is the most difficult of the lot because the Premier League, La Liga or Bundesliga, Serie A… always it’s difficult with a lot of games.
“But this one [the Champions League] is special, going to Europe and with the team, with the club and the organisation, we go everywhere to try to play our best football.
“It’s so nice.”
