"Three years in a row playing the kings of the competition" - Pep Guardiola reacts as Manchester City draw Real Madrid in the UCL

Pep Guardiola has shared his thoughts as reigning champions Manchester City have been drawn against UEFA Champions League royalty Real Madrid in the quarterfinals of the competition. The champions will go have to go through Los Blancos once more in their quest to defend the title they won last season.

Manchester City became champions of Europe for the first time in their history in 2022-23 after defeating Inter Milan 1-0 in the final. The victory ensured that they won a treble, joining Manchester United, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Inter Milan as the only sides to achieve this feat.

En route to winning the biggest prize in European club football, Manchester City had to overcome Real Madrid in the semifinals. Pep Guardiola saw his side play out a 1-1 draw at the Santiago Bernabeu before a 4-0 win at the Etihad sent them to the final.

Speaking to the media, Guardiola shared his thoughts about his side facing Los Blancos for a third successive season. The Spanish manager said that he would take another match-up with a different team if there was the option to do so.

"Real Madrid in the draw? We don't have another option. It looks like a little bit of a tradition, three years in a row playing the kings of the competition," Guardiola said.

Manchester City and Real Madrid are the two most recent winners of the competition, and have served up great drama in recent seasons. While their last meeting ended 5-1 on aggregate to the English side, their meeting in 2021-22 was more memorable.

Real Madrid came back from the brink of defeat to claim a 6-5 aggregate win in the semifinals to reach the final in 2022. Three goals after the 90th minute mark from Rodrygo and Karim Benzema got them to the final in that tie.

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Jude Bellingham, Erling Haaland set to meet again in Manchester City-Real Madrid tie

Teammates at Borussia Dortmund, Jude Bellingham and Erling Haaland will face each other when their sides face in the UEFA Champions League. The Cityzens are set to face the Spanish giants for a place in the semifinals of the competition.

Manchester City were interested in signing Bellingham as they did Haaland from Borussia Dortmund, but failed in their bid. The 20-year-old star will be able to show the English side what they missed out on.

Bellingham has found the net with alarming regularity since arriving in Spain, with 20 goals to his name across competitions. Haaland has done same since his move to England a year earlier, with 81 goals in 86 matches.

Both men will look to play a central role for their respective sides in the tournament to get them closer to the title.