Manchester City will be once again trying to assert their pedigree to be one of Europe’s elite by progressing through to the Champions League Quarter-Finals, having been handed what appears to be the easiest draw the Blues could have hoped to ask for.
Pep Guardiola’s side travel to Germany this week to take on a Schalke side 14th in the Bundesliga before welcoming the die Königsblauen at the Etihad in a little over three weeks’ time.
One City player who will be hoping to feature across the two-legged tie is the Brazilian defender Danilo.
Though the versatile full-back has less than half an hour of game time in the Champions League this season, he has found favour over £45 million purchase Kyle Walker at times, as well as helping to solve Guardiola’s left-back problem.
A £26.5million buy from Real Madrid, Danilo has held that silverware that has so far proven elusive for the aspiring Cityzens, having been part of Zinedine Zidane’s Los Blancos winning squad in 2015/16, and 2016/17, the first time a side had won back-to-back titles.
It was therefore inevitable that the 27-year-old would be pressed as to who he believes to be the better coach between current boss Guardiola, and Zidane and as to be expected, was very diplomatic in how he approached his answer;
“Of course they are very different, first they are all top coaches and it’s impossible to compare the two,”
Danilo said (via The Mirror).
“For me I am very happy to have had the opportunity to work with them. Pep’s attention to details is second to none, Zidane what he has achieved for himself is unbelievable so for me it’s really hard to say if this is better or not.
“I am just as happy to be with Guardiola now as I was with working with Zidane in the past.”
Manchester City versus Schalke will be the first meeting between the two sides in over a decade. Both sides have only ever reached the semi-finals of the premier European competition; Schalke in 2011, and City in 2016.
The first leg takes place on Wednesday 20th February at 20:00 (GMT).
