Manchester City's Training Reportedly Cancelled Hours Before Champions League Clash vs. Real Madrid
- Manchester City's Spanish boss Pep Guardiola has made an unusual decision before his team's make-or-break Champions League vs. Real Madrid
- The Premier League masters were demolished 3-0 at Santiago Bernabeu last week when Federico Valverde took matters into his own hands
- Antoine Semenyo and his Man City teammates are under pressure to deliver when Madrid visit Etihad
Don't miss out! Get your daily dose of sports news straight to your phone. Join YEN's Sports News channel on WhatsApp now!
Antoine Semenyo's club manager, Pep Guardiola, has reportedly made a surprising decision just a day before Manchester City face Real Madrid in a crucial UEFA Champions League showdown.
The Premier League side are set to host the Spanish giants at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday, March 17, in the second leg of their round of 16 tie.
Source: Getty Images
City head into the decisive clash under immense pressure after suffering a heavy 3–0 defeat in the first leg at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium last week, Federico Valverde scoring an amazing hat-trick.
That result has left Guardiola’s side with a mountain to climb if they are to overturn the deficit and keep their hopes of European glory alive.
Semenyo and his teammates must now produce an extraordinary comeback in front of their home supporters to eliminate the 15-time Champions League winners and progress to the quarter-finals.
Pep Guardiola cancels Man City training
However, in a surprising move, Pep Guardiola has opted not to hold a training session with his squad on the day before their crucial UEFA Champions League clash against Alvaro Arbeloa's Madrid side.
According to the Manchester Evening News, instead, the Spaniard has granted his players a full day off ahead of the high-stakes second-leg encounter.
Source: Getty Images
The Cityzens returned from Madrid last week following their 3–0 first-leg defeat and immediately travelled to London for a Premier League fixture at West Ham United FC, drawing 1–1.
The result, combined with leaders Arsenal winning their match, has left City further adrift in the Premier League title race.
It should be noted that after the West Ham game, City held a recovery session in Manchester on Sunday, March 15.
Guardiola has now decided that rest, rather than an intense training session, is the ideal way to prepare Antoine Semenyo and his City teammates for the monumental challenge against Real Madrid.
The players will return on Tuesday for final tactical rehearsals ahead of what could potentially be City’s last Champions League game of the season, as Al Jazeera noted.
Meanwhile, this unexpected approach underlines Guardiola’s focus on freshness and mental sharpness, prioritising recovery over rigorous preparation for a fixture where the margins for error are minimal.
However, most importantly, City fans would hope this Guardiola approach works to perfection as the Etihad outfit aims for one of the greatest Champions League comebacks ever.
2025/26 Champions League favourites
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported on the latest Opta Supercomputer's Champions League favourite predictions ahead of the Round of 16 second legs.
The fresh projections see Arsenal installed as the team most likely to clinch this year's UCL, as Bayern Munich follows closely.
Source: YEN.com.gh
