The 2021-22 Champions League bracket set up a mouth-watering clash in the semifinals. Pep Guardiola's Manchester City will once again meet Real Madrid in the continental stage, this time with a ticket to the grand final on the line.

Their semifinal series get underway on Tuesday, April 26, when the Citizens welcome Los Blancos to the Etihad Stadium. The hosts head into the game in high spirits, as they put five past Watford in the weekend to continue in control of the Premier League standings.

Manchester City have been seeking European glory since Sheikh Mansour's takeover in 2008, but not even Pep Guardiola has been able to lead them to the promised land. He hopes to change that this season, but he'll have to take down a familiar foe first.

Given his past as a Barcelona player and coach, Pep has obviously faced Los Blancos on various occasions. Here, we'll break down his games against Real Madrid by his playing and coaching career.

Guardiola has had his fair share of wins against Real Madrid during his playing days, but his record doesn't suggest he's been dominant. Most of his games against El Merengue were in a blaugrana uniform except for one.

Guardiola faced Real Madrid on 21 occasions as a player, 20 of those games were Clasico derbies playing for Barcelona. He won eight, draw on seven games and lost seven times against La Casa Blanca. The only game he's ever played against Real Madrid not in a Barca jersey was at Roma in a forgettable 3-0 loss for the Italians.

Things have been quite better for Pep as a manager, as he upset Los Blancos on many occasions. Guardiola faced Real Madrid with all three teams he's worked for as a head coach and his stats are incredible: 11 wins, four draws, and four defeats. Here, we'll break down those 19 games by club.

Pep Guardiola made Real Madrid one of his favorite victims during Barcelona's golden days. The Spanish boss won nine Clasicos, while he drew on four and lost only twice. In times when Barca were on top of the world, Pep Guardiola became a nightmare for Los Blancos as he's also been on the dugout during memorable wins such as the 2-6 road victory and the 5-0 home triumph.

After getting the upper hand for many years at Barca, the outcome was different for Pep when his Bayern Munich faced Real Madrid in the 2013-14 Champions League semifinals. Los Merengues advanced to the grand final with a comfortable 5-0 lead on aggregate.

It would take some time before they faced each other again, but Guardiola bounced back a few years later. His Manchester City beat Real Madrid on both legs of the 2019-20 Champions League round of 16 with a 4-2 advantage on aggregate.

This article first appeared on Bolavip US and was syndicated with permission.

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