Manchester City will face Real Madrid in the semifinal of the UEFA Champions League and that encounter will see Pep Guardiola battle Italian tactician Carlo Ancelotti once again.
Guardiola, who has had a wonderful campaign with the Citizens in the UEFA Champions League and also looks to be in a wonderful position to lift the treble, battles Ancelotti who he has never defeated over two legs in the competition.
The Spaniard has faced Ancelotti twice in the past, losing embarrassingly to Real Madrid in 2014 by 0-5 on aggregate while he was at Bayern Munich.
He also squared up against Carlo Ancelotti in 2022 and he lost out on aggregate to a spirited Real Madrid side by 5-6.
Coincidentally, both losses came in the Semi-final of the UEFA Champions League in those respective seasons.
Real Madrid are defending champions of the UEFA Champions League alongside being 14-time champions of this competition.
They became the first side to do the double and afterwards the three-peat of Champions League titles in the present era winning on three consecutive occasions under former boss Zidane.
Madrid have also defeated big sides on their way to the Semi-final, smashing Liverpool by 6-2 on aggregate before making light work over two-time winners Chelsea in the quarter-final.
However, Manchester City have also been domineering on their way to the Semi-final as they thumped RB Leipzig by 8-1 in the Round of 16 before annihilating Bayern Munich by 4-1 in the quarter-final.
The Defending champions of the English Premier League are unbeaten in the tournament while the Spanish heavyweights have only lost once this term.
Based on history, this is a David VS Goliath type of contest but based on recent form, Manchester City have been able to stand tall as one of the top sides in Europe.
Manchester City’s last and only appearance in the UEFA Champions League final was in 2020/21 losing 1-0 in the final against Chelsea.
Many have tipped them as favorites going into the final including website FiveThirtyEight.
The last time Manchester City defeated Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League was last season in the first leg of their Semi-final clash but they ultimately lost out to the most successful side in the competition.
Carlo Ancelotti is the first and only manager to lift the UEFA Champions League four times winning it twice at AC Milan in 2002/03 and 2006/07.
He has also won the competition twice at Real Madrid. He won it in the 2013/14 season during his first stint at Real Madrid and also in the 2021/22 season.
Pep Guardiola has lifted the competition just twice at Barcelona winning it in the 2008/09 season and the 2010/11 campaign.
Both managers boast of an impressive resume with Carlo Ancelotti winning 23 titles so far in his career while Pep Guardiola has won 31 trophies.
This definitely should be a game for the ages and both managers certainly would want to bring their A-game and tactical acumen to the fore when both sides meet on the 9th and 17th of May.
