Real Madrid manager Álvaro Arbeloa has declared his team will not feel inferior to Manchester City ahead of their Champions League round of 16 clash. Speaking at a news conference, Arbeloa emphasized that Real Madrid carries the confidence of its storied history into the matchup, despite City's dominant 2-1 win over them in December.

Madrid faces the tie with several key players unavailable, including Kylian Mbappé, Jude Bellingham, Éder Militão, Álvaro Carreras, and Rodrygo, who underwent surgery Tuesday. Arbeloa noted Mbappé is recovering well but didn't confirm his availability. The former defender, who played against Pep Guardiola's Barcelona over a decade ago, expects City to have tactical surprises prepared for Wednesday's first leg at the Bernabéu.

Midfielder Federico Valverde acknowledged the different dynamic of a home-and-away tie compared to their December league phase meeting. He stressed the importance of avoiding the mistakes that led to their previous defeat. Arbeloa also criticized Barcelona president Joan Laporta's comments about refereeing payments, pointing out Laporta's own club quadrupled payments to former refereeing official José María Enriquez Negreira.