Pep avoids City
Bayern draw Atletico in Champions League semis, Man City get Real
Pep Guardiola avoided his future employers as Manchester City were drawn to play Real Madrid in the semi-finals of the Champions League yesterday, while Atletico Madrid will face the Spaniard's Bayern Munich.
Guardiola takes over as City boss next season after three years at Bayern, during which he has steered the Bavarian giants to the last four in Europe in each of his three seasons in charge.
"Spanish teams are always strong in the Champions League and I have seen in the last few years how strong Atletico are in the Spanish league," Guardiola (above) said.
"They have a good mentality under their coach (Diego) Simeone and have good players going forward in (Fernando) Torres and (Antoine) Griezmann.
"Simeone is one of the best coaches in the world and his team are one of the best in Europe. Over 10 years Atletico didn't beat Real Madrid, then Simeone arrived and changed all that."
Atletico, winners over defending champions Barcelona in the quarter-finals, and Bayern have met once before in European action, in the 1974 final.
The Bundesliga side ran out 4-0 winners in the replay following an initial 1-1 draw.
Bayern striker Robert Lewandowski said the Bundesliga giants will be wary of Atletico. "@Atleti did show their strength in the match with Barcelona. We must maintain maximum concentration," the Polish international tweeted.
Bayern's Spain international Javi Martinez added: "That will be a difficult game against a strong opponent."
RETURN TO REAL
For outgoing Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini, the semi-final will be a return to the club he managed in 2009/10.
City's only games against Real, who are unbeaten in their last eight games against English clubs and are in the semi-finals for a record sixth successive time, were in the 2012/13 group stage. They drew 1-1 at home and lost 3-2 away.
City's sporting director Txiki Begiristain said: "It's a great tie against the team that has won the competition the most times.
"But we have got this far and we want to keep dreaming.
"Clearly they (Real) are (favourites), this is their 26th semi-final, their sixth in a row, but we are very capable. PSG are having a great season and we were able to knock them out.
"We are optimistic, but the key is solidity."
Emilio Butragueno, Real's director of institutional relations, said City would be very motivated given they have never made the last four.
"In the semi-finals, any opponent will be a great team and we are speaking about players of the highest quality that can settle a game themselves in (David) Silva, (Kevin) de Bruyne and (Sergio) Aguero," Butragueno told BeIN Sports Spain.
"We need to play two games at a very high level if we want to get to the final in Milan."
Asked whether it was the best draw possible for Real, Butragueno said: "I remember being here exactly a year ago and everyone said afterwards we had been very lucky to avoid Bayern and Barca, but Juventus ended up eliminating us.
"The two games will be very evenly balanced. We can think playing at the Bernabeu (in the return leg) gives us a certain advantage.
"But this is our sixth consecutive semi-final and in the five previous to this we have played away first three times and never made it to the final."
The first leg of the semi-finals will be played on April 26-27, with the second leg scheduled for May 3-4.
The final will take place at Milan's San Siro stadium on May 28. - Wire Services.
BY THE NUMBERS
5 goals conceded
The Champions League semi-final between Atletico Madrid and Barcelona pits the tournament's best attack against its best defence. Bayern have been prolific with 28 goals scored while Atletico are obdurate, having conceded only five times.
28 goals scored
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