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Real Madrid is a different side compared to last season thanks to midfielder Jude Bellingham’s “obvious” impact, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said after his side was drawn to face the La Liga club in the Champions League quarterfinal.
Holder City beat the 14-time Champions League winner in the Champions League semifinal last season, drawing 1-1 away and securing a thumping 4-0 win at the Etihad in the second leg.
Bellingham, who joined Real from Borussia Dortmund in July for a fee of around 103 million euros ($112.1 million), has scored 20 goals and set up nine for the Spanish side across all competitions this season.
Asked about the leading La Liga goalscorer, the City manager told reporters on Friday: “(Bellingham’s) impact has been massive. It’s a different team from last season. His influence is obvious, and we have to try to discover what he does to control it.
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“Facing Real Madrid is always a tough challenge, nobody can deny it. They are an exceptional club, and in this competition they can control many things with the experience they have in the past.
“Like last season there will be moments for them and moments for us. The longer we can keep our moments, we’ll be closer. We’ll try to do a good performance in Madrid and then here, with our people, do it again.”
The first legs of the Champions League’s quarterfinal will be played from April 9-10 and second legs on April 16-17.
City plays Newcastle United in the FA Cup quarter-finals on Saturday and faces Arsenal in the Premier League after the international break.
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