Much has been made of the difference in schedules between Real Madrid and Manchester City ahead of next week’s Champions League quarter-final first leg showdown at the Santiago Bernabeu. Los Blancos have a nine-day break until that match, while Man City play two extra fixtures.
Pep Guardiola recently admitted his frustration on the matter earlier this week, and he believes that it gives Real Madrid a significant advantage for the first leg in the Spanish capital.
Toni Kroos addressed the matter on his podcast this week. He admitted that he would rather have Real Madrid’s build-up, but he doesn’t believe that it will be too much of an advantage for him and his teammates, as per MD.
“We’re not used to not playing for nine days. If you ask me today, it suits me very well. It won’t be a disadvantage for us, but I don’t know if it will be a big advantage. We’re all used to playing every week.”
Real Madrid could certainly lack some match sharpness for the opening minutes at the Bernabeu, although they will certainly be more rested, especially since Guardiola cannot afford to make many alterations to his side during this period because of injuries.
