Savinho has expressed that Manchester City will approach their upcoming match against Real Madrid without any fear. He mentioned that there was a sense of “calm” in the locker room when the team discovered they would be facing such a prestigious opponent. This Champions League playoff is set to take place at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday and marks the fifth time in the last five years that these two teams will compete against each other.

Even though City will be seen as the underdogs due to their challenging season, Savinho pointed out that there is a quiet confidence among the players. They are accustomed to high-pressure games under their coach, Pep Guardiola. He explained, “We stayed calm; we couldn’t choose our opponent, so now we’re just eager to play.”

Real Madrid arrives in Manchester at the top of La Liga, despite recently drawing 1-1 with their local rivals, Atlético Madrid. Savinho, who played in Spain last season with Girona, feels prepared for this match. He is familiar with some of Madrid’s standout players, like Vinícius Júnior and Rodrygo, who he has played alongside on the Brazilian national team.

“It’s a team I know well,” he said. “They have excellent players and are one of the best teams globally. We hope to give our best performance. It should be an exciting match for everyone, and we hope luck is on our side so Manchester City can move forward in the tournament.”

After a tough game where they lost 5-1 to Arsenal, City bounced back with a slim 2-1 victory over Leyton Orient, a team from a lower division, in the FA Cup on Saturday. They are gradually improving; out of their last 11 games, they have only lost twice, a significant change after struggling with nine losses in 12 matches before Christmas.

“It’s been a difficult season, especially compared to the recent ones that we’ve had,” Savinho admitted. “This is a team that’s won four Premier Leagues in a row, so of course it’s very different. The supporters who come here, they’re used to seeing us win the treble, win four in a row and this is something else for them.
“But in football it’s not all sunshine and flowers. We have to focus and we’ve really got to focus on how we can improve.