Pep Guardiola against all of his enemies

The best Barça in history did a lot of damage in Madrid. The 'Pep Team' repeatedly humiliated Los Blancos in all competitions in those years of culé glory. They even stormed the sacrosanct Bernabéu with a scandalous thrashing in La Liga (2-6 in the 2008-09 season) and a footballing recital in the Champions League semis (0-2 in the 2010-11 campaign). The animosity towards Guardiola, the creator of the Barça team that astonished the world, continues despite the passage of time. And every time Madrid face a Pep team in Europe that hatred resurfaces with the same force as in the past.

Today's Champions League semi-final double-header between Los Blancos and Manchester City kicks off with the same sense of revenge on the part of Madrid fans. There is neither forgetting nor forgiveness for the coach who outraged the Merengues' stadium. Not even last season's epic comeback has served to appease those who loathe Pep above all other considerations. And Guardiola has yet to win a Champions League title away from Barça, where he won the title twice (2009 and 2011).

In the ten years (three with Bayern and seven with City) that he has been coaching abroad, Pep has only managed to reach one final, which he lost to Chelsea (0-1) in 2021. Such animosity is clearly irrational. And the result, of course, of an era in which Madrid not only lost the footballing hegemony in Spain and Europe, but was embarrassed by the extraordinary play of that unique and unrepeatable Barça. 

HAALAND vs VINICIUS AND BENZEMA

In tonight's thrilling tie at the Bernabéu, City will be theoretical favourites against a Madrid side who are very much on the back foot but who have already shown that they are capable of anything in their favourite competition, where they have won five of the last nine editions of the competition. Guardiola is counting on the 'beast' Haaland (he has scored 46 goals this season, 12 of them in the Champions League), while Ancelotti will be counting on the genius but uncontrollable Vinicius and the quality of Benzema to keep his hopes alive.

Pep, after City have invested a total of €1.277 billion in signings since he has been manager, is under more pressure than ever to win that long-desired and elusive European Cup. All his enemies are waiting for another slip-up from the Catalan coach. His enemies in Madrid and his enemies in Barcelona, which he also has...