Source: team_talk
Mourinho wary of City threat
Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho insists he is taking the threat of Manchester City seriously ahead of their Champions League opener.
The two clash on Tuesday at the Bernabeu as they open their Champions League group campaigns.
Mourinho has made a personal check on City and he admits they will pose them problems.
"I went over to see City play because I want my job to be done as close to perfection as possible. I wanted to analyse our opponents not just by video or stats but to see them first hand," Mourinho told the Sun on Sunday.
"Okay a match against QPR is not a good game to make a direct transfer to a match in the Bernabeu. But it was good enough to see some aspects of the City team.
"And what I do know is they have very good players - and are a powerful side."
Mourinho did not want to single any players out, adding: "I don't like to speak about opponents individually but it's no problem to say that we respect Carlos Tevez a lot.
"I also know Mario Balotelli and the player he is because we were together at Inter for two years and so he certainly has nothing to prove to me."
Mourinho, also though, insists that Real Madrid do not need to fear anyone as they go in search of their first European Cup for ten years.
"Real Madrid is Real Madrid, it's the real thing. A club no football result, no cup competition, no coach, no player can ever change," he said.
"Quite simply Real Madrid is a club like no other. It's incomparable with any other club in the world.
"There is no team anywhere that can be compared with Real Madrid. None.
"Remember I was in Portugal, in England and in Italy before coming here to Madrid, so I know what I am saying. There are great clubs but the pressure and the expectation is the greatest here at Real Madrid.
"It is huge but it is an enjoyable pressure, not a suffocating one."
City boss Roberto Mancini recognises Real's history ahead of their trip to Spain.
"It's clear that we don't have the history like Real Madrid but I think that Manchester City have won some trophies and we want to win now - and for the next 10 years," he said.
"Manchester City will be a top team like Real but they have a big history and that's the difference."
Mancini insists that his players need to ignore Mourinho in the build-up.
"I played against him twice, Lazio against Porto seven or eight years ago in the UEFA Cup. We lost 4-1 in Porto and drew 0-0 in Rome," he said.
"I also met him in Milan when he went to Inter.
"It's important that our players play this game - only this. The other things are not important.
"Without players you can't play - but without managers you can still play."
Mancini insisted that City are not trying sign Cristiano Ronaldo and joked that he would not mind him sitting out Tuesday's clash.
"Did we think of trying to sign him in the summer? No," Mancini replied. "But if they leave Cristiano at home on Tuesday night it would be better for us. Players like Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are difficult to mark. "At the moment these two are the best players in the world. Real Madrid and Barcelona are the best teams in the world."
