Need Vinicius Jr at his best to knock out Manchester City: Real Madrid Coach Arbeloa ahead of UCL clash

Alvaro Arbeloa

Real Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa said on Tuesday that his team should not feel inferior to Champions League opponents Manchester City, even without injured striker Kylian Mbappe.

"We are Real Madrid and I think that we never feel lesser than anyone else," Arbeloa told reporters on Tuesday. "It doesn't matter the circumstance, it doesn't matter who is in front of us, we are Real Madrid and we should not feel inferior to anyone. Tomorrow we have an opponent we know well, the identity of the club, coach, players, what Manchester City is... but we'll head into it full of hope," he added.

Teammates watch Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr control the ball during a session. Pic/Getty Images

Mbappe was in France last week for tests and treatment on a knee sprain, which Arbeloa said was looking better. Without Mbappe, Brazilian winger Vinicius Junior will lead the attack for the 15-time champions.

"He's taking a lot of responsibility... we need the best of him if we're going to knock out Manchester City," added the Spanish manager.

Five
No. of times Real Madrid have beaten Manchester City in 15 UCL games

Seven
No. of goal contributions (goals + assists) by Vinicius Jr in 10 games vs Man City

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