Manchester City face Real Madrid in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday evening.
It’s a mouth-watering clash between two of the finest sides in Europe. The kind of game the Champions League is all about.
It’s also another clash between Pep Guardiola and Los Blancos.
The Catalan, inextricably linked with Barcelona, has a fine record against the club from the Spanish capital and there’s no love lost between the two parties.
Guardiola does, however, have at least one Madridista friend.
And it’s the biggest Madridista of all; Raul. The pair played together with La Roja and have been known to share meals, notably just a couple of days ago in Manchester.
The two, both coaches now, shared dinner at Tastcatala, a Catalan restaurant in the city Guardiola has called home for six years according to Marca. Guardiola is a frequent visitor there.
It’s his own restaurant….