Real Madrid full-back Marcelo has moved to deny the suggestion that Manchester City are the easiest possible Champions League draw for Los Merengues.
The Liga BBVA giants sneaked past Wolfsburg in the quarter-finals despite losing their first leg 2-0, following a remarkable Cristiano Ronaldo hat-trick in the second leg.
The semi-final line-up is strong, and while City—who saw off Chelsea 3-0 in Premier League action on Saturday—are arguably less menacing than serial champions Bayern Munich and Real’s near-neighbours Atletico Madrid, Marcelo has refused to accept they’re the easiest possible opponents.
“They’re not the weakest,” the wideman told AS. “There are no weak teams.
“They have reached the semi-final for a reason and they are as strong as the other teams,” he continued.
“Now there are only finals, there are no easy games.”
Marcelo isn’t the first Real Madrid player to refute the suggestion that Los Blancos have got away with the easiest possible draw.
Earlier this weekend, AS also asked Marcelo’s teammate Lucas Vazquez about whether the Citizens were encouraging foe for Los Blancos.
“Are Manchester City an easy opponent? Forget about it,” Vazquez began. “We have to go slowly, they’re a tough team with good players.
“We’ll try to go there and then take advantage in the second leg at home.”
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However, while the Citizens boast a star-studded lineup, including previous winners such as Yaya Toure, they are in uncharted territory, whereas Bayern won the competition as recently as 2013 and Atletico were defeated finalists a year later after taking Real to extra time.
While Atleti have never won Europe’s top club competition, Real are well aware of their neighbours’ qualities, and Diego Simeone’s heavyweights would move back ahead of Zinedine Zidane’s giants with a win over troubled Granada on Sunday.