The Catalan coach has tortured Los Merengues and been left traumatised by them in a fascinating odyssey of matches spanning 16 years
“It’s Madrid, it’s special," remarked Pep Guardiola after Manchester City's pulsating 3-3 draw with Los Merengues last week. And he would know. The Catalan has faced Real Madrid 22 times as a coach, with City, Bayern Munich and Barcelona, and many more as a player. He knows what it's like to win against Madrid and to lose to them. His sides have produced scintillating displays against the most glamorous club in European football, and his teams have also been thrashed and humiliated by them.
If it hadn't been for Guardiola, Madrid would have at least three more La Liga titles to their name. and potentially two extra Champion Leagues. And if it hadn't been for Madrid, the Catalan would be the undisputed best coach in the competition's history.
Guardiola grew up despising Madrid as an ardent Barcelona fan and then player, but there is also a deep sense of mutual respect between the coach and the 14-time European champions. "The king of the competition" is how Guardiola referred to Madrid when he learned City would be playing them for the third consecutive season after being drawn together in the quarter-finals. But is his side who currently wear the crown.
Madrid will be looking to dethrone City in Wednesday's second leg at the Etihad Stadium, which will be the latest chapter in an enthralling saga which has thrown up agonising eliminations, era-defining performances, breath-taking goals and someone getting poked in the eye. GOAL relives Guardiola's best ever matches against Real Madrid…
Getty Real Madrid 2-6 Barcelona, May 2009
This was the game when everyone stood up and took notice of Guardiola's powers as a coach. His Barca were already stunning onlookers in his debut season in charge and he had won his first Clasico at the Camp Nou. But Madrid were beginning to reel his side in under Juande Ramos, and a victory for Los Blancos at the Bernabeu would have put them right back in the title race.
Gonzalo Higuain gave Madrid the lead, but Barca came flying back at them, producing an utterly formidable performance. And it was all down to Guardiola's secret plan for Lionel Messi, who he fielded as a 'false nine' for the first time, with devastating consequences.
AdvertisementGetty Barcelona 5-0 Real Madrid, November 2010
Jose Mourinho was seen as the one man who could re-establish Madrid as the dominant force in Spain, especially after his Inter had knocked Barca out of the Champions League the previous season. But in his first Clasico as Blancos boss, the Portuguese's side were annihilated.
Xavi and Pedro got the ball rolling with early goals before David Villa struck twice and Jeffren completed the rout, leading to a gleeful Gerard Pique holding up his five fingers in celebration, one for every goal.
Getty Real Madrid 0-2 Barcelona, April 2011
It was one of the great press conference displays of all-time, followed by one of the greatest goals of all-time. Guardiola had been mocked by Mourinho earlier in the day in the aftermath of a bitter Copa del Rey final defeat just four days previously, and he marched into the press room at Santiago Bernabeu meaning business. He called Mourinho "the f*cking chief, the f*cking boss" when it came to dealing with the media, but said his side would do their talking on the pitch in the Champions League semi-final first leg.
They did exactly that. Mourinho devised an ultra-defensive tactical scheme with Pepe in midfield, which backfired when the Portuguese was sent off. Barca exploited the extra space and Messi broke the deadlock before scoring an extraordinary second, slaloming his way through the Madrid defence from the halfway line before scoring.
Getty Barcelona 3-2 Real Madrid, August 2011
Even considering the long-running history of rivalry between Barcelona and Real Madrid, tensions between the two clubs were at an all-time high when they met in the Spanish Super Cup just three months after their unforgettable series of four matches within a two-week period.
The first leg at the Bernabeu had ended 2-2, and the return match at Camp Nou was another epic. Cristiano Ronaldo cancelled out Andres Iniesta's opener and then Karim Benzema levelled after Messi had restored Barca's lead. But Messi, typically, had the final say, at least on the pitch.
The Argentine genius scored in the 88th minute to clinch the trophy for Barca, but the game is remembered far more for Mourinho poking Guardiola's assistant Tito Vilanova in the eye in a furious clash between the two benches.