Sport
Guardiola Confident as Man City Prepares to Face Real Madrid in UCL Quarter-Final
Pep Guardiola gives Man City a day off to prepare mentally for the UCL quarter-final second leg against Real Madrid, aiming to overturn a three-goal deficit
Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola, remains determined to chase Premier League leaders Arsenal despite a nine-point gap and is focused on overturning a three-goal deficit against Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League quarter-final.
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Ahead of the second-leg clash at the Etihad Stadium, Guardiola gave his squad a day off from training to prepare mentally for the high-stakes encounter.
“It’s related. The way you play, if you play well mentally, you will be strong,” Guardiola told the BBC.
The Spanish coach emphasized the importance of defensive discipline and momentum, noting, “I am not much concerned about the chances we are going to create; I am pretty sure that we are able to do it. At home we are always able to do it. It is more about how well we are going to defend.”
Guardiola acknowledged the magnitude of the challenge, saying, “The task is massive; to score more than three goals against Real Madrid is not easy. The result in the first leg is not the perfect one, but at the same time we are here; it is a football game, and everything can happen.”
The City manager urged his players to focus on both attack and defense, adding, “We have to create as much momentum as possible and do a good game for the talented players we have and defend well.”
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Manchester City will now aim to overturn the three-goal deficit in front of their home fans as they seek to continue their UCL campaign and maintain pressure on Arsenal in the Premier League title race.
Cristiano Ronaldo announces his retirement from Portugal international duty after 23 years, ending a career that included 146 goals in 234 games
On 5 November 2026, Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo announced his retirement from international duty, bringing an end to a 23-year career with the national team just as a rift with manager Jorge Jesus appeared to have been patched up.
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The 41-year-old posted a video on social media in which he declared that the time had come to hang up the number 7 jersey.
“Portugal will always be in me,” he said. “The time has come to hang up the number 7 of our national team. I never felt it was exclusively mine, but for 23 years I had the privilege and the responsibility of wearing it.”
Ronaldo added that the decision was not easy and had been taken with both the head and the heart.
He leaves as Portugal’s most capped player and the highest goalscorer in men’s international football history, with 146 goals in 234 appearances.
His career highlights include the Euro 2016 title and two UEFA Nations League triumphs.
The announcement comes a day before Jorge Jesus was due to name his squad for the November Nations League fixtures, following reports that Ronaldo had been included in the preliminary selection after a September fallout over playing time.
In October, Ronaldo had accused Jesus of breaking his word after being left as an unused substitute against Norway, leading him to leave the national team camp.
He later apologised and stated he remained available after any punishment.
The pair were reported to have cleared the air, yet Ronaldo has now chosen to step away entirely.
The decision closes one of the most remarkable international careers the sport has seen and leaves Portugal without its long-serving captain for the remainder of the Nations League campaign.
Also read: Mourinho Balanced on Vinicius With Soft Approach
Football has been stunned by the sudden end to Ronaldo’s Portugal chapter. While he continues at club level with Al Nassr, the national team must now look to the future without its greatest ever player.
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