Pep Guardiola explains how Real Madrid have changed since Cristiano Ronaldo exit

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has explained how Real Madrid have changed since Crisitano Ronaldo left the club. Ronaldo joined the Serie A club Juventus from Zinedine Zidane's side in the summer of 2018. Since then the Catalan giants struggled, finishing 3rd in the La Liga table last term and leaving the Champions League after the loss to Ajax. This season they have started with more success, in spite of playing without their Portuguese star. Guardiola thinks Real Madrid have become a more aggressive pressing team since Ronaldo's exit. He said: "I think Ronaldo with Messi, is a guy who scores 50 or 60 goals a season and has maintained his level all season. No team cannot become a little bit softer if they leave. But it is two seasons without him and Madrid are playing at a good level and [were] top of the league right now. I have seen their games and there are things they did not do before. They press forward and they don’t wait. They are incredibly aggressive with the quality of the players they have. They are always a top side." City are going to face Real Madrid for the first leg of a last-16 Champions League tie on Wednesday night. Speaking on the upcoming match, Guardiola added: "It is the real, real test. The king of this competition against one team who are not used to playing these kind of games much as our best performances was one semi-final of the Champions League in our history. So, it will be in a marvellous stadium where we have to show our personality so I know that my players, myself, all the club, want to fight until the end for this title and to arrive in the later stages and one day, dream to win the Champions League but if you want to dream that and you want to do it, you have to face these teams. This is the last 16 but maybe the quarter-finals, maybe the semi-finals, maybe the final. You have to beat Madrid, you have to beat Barcelona, you have to beat Bayern Munich. You have to beat the big, big big clubs in this competition if you are to try and win it."

Source: MEN

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