City have fresh feeling for latest Real Madrid showdown – ‘get one over on them’
John Stones is well versed in Manchester City vs Real Madrid Champions League ties and he believes Pep Guardiola’s squad have what it takes to compete on all fronts this season
John Stones is a veteran of Manchester City vs Real Madrid Champions League ties
John Stones didn’t watch the Champions League draw. Like many, he probably felt there was an inevitability that Manchester City would be reunited with Real Madrid.
The two teams are about to play for the tenth and 11th time in the last five seasons, meeting more than City have with several Premier League sides over the same period.
For Stones, meetings with Madrid have often told a personal story. In 2022 he came back too quickly from injury and was forced off injured in the first leg of the semi-final as City were beaten. A year later he played both legs of the last four clash when the Blues went on to lift the Champions League trophy, beating Inter Milan in the final with Stones imperious as City completed a treble.
Get MEN Premium now for just £1 HERE – or get involved in our City WhatsApp group by clicking HERE. You can also join our City Facebook page by clicking HERE and don’t miss out on our brilliant selection of newsletters HERE.
In 2024 he played through the pain barrier in the first leg having picked up an injury in the game and was ruled out of the second leg as a result. Last year injury struck again when he was forced off after eight minutes in the second leg and his season was over as a result. So what will the 2026 iteration bring?
“It’s another chance to prove our worth and get one over on them,” said Stones, speaking to TNT Sports Mexico. “I think going to the Bernabeu and playing Madrid is such a difficult task. That’s exciting in itself to go and overcome that.
“I don’t watch the draw, I get told who we get. I look at it in we can’t control who we get, we are going to have to beat whoever gets put in front of us and I relish the challenge that we’ve got.”
City have got a host of challenges in the next few weeks. If they overcome Madrid, it might be Bayern Munich and Vincent Kompany in the last eight. The FA Cup has yielded an Easter quarter-final with Liverpool, while a Wembley date with Arsenal looms large in the Carabao Cup final.
Find the best flights and hotels for Champions League games
Booking.com provides countless deals on flights and accommodation across Europe so Man City fans can follow the team on their Champions League campaign.
The Blues have entered mid-March fighting on four fronts with a new-look squad. Stones is the longest-serving City player, so can he help his team-mates?
“It’s a difficult one to explain that to someone that is coming into it,” the defender said. “It’s more a feeling that they get and a standard that is set by players that have been through those situations. It’s down to us to keep setting those standards and those bars high and what is expected in these big moments.
“The odd word to the guys who haven’t been in these experiences or moments before can be settling at times, I remember when I was going through them. Just knowing that people like me, Ruben, Bernardo, the boys around them, is a comforting thing and everyone that has come through this club in the time I’ve been here has been a winner, it’s something deep down within them and they know how to get over the line.
“Everyone has had a different upbringing and path to get to where they are right now and all those combinations that put together are special. It’s an exciting time and hopefully we can help the boys through.”
Buy Carabao Cup Final VIP tickets
The Carabao Cup Final will see Arsenal v Manchester City at London’s Wembley Stadium this March.