Pep Guardiola praises Jude Bellingham ahead of Champions League showdown

Pep Guardiola praised Jude Bellingham for his impact at Real Madrid as he prepares for a titanic showdown next month.

Manchester City cruised through the round of 16 in the Champions League after beating Copenhagen 6-2 on aggregate over two legs.

But the defending champions will have a much tougher test in the next round as they have been drawn against Real Madrid in the quarter-finals.

Carlo Ancelotti will want revenge for the 4-0 thrashing his side received in the tournament last year and he will feel a lot more confident this time around with a more reinvigorated side.

A major reason for their success this season has been the performances of summer signing Bellingham who has established himself as arguably the best player at the club.

Speaking about the English midfielder, Guardiola heaped praise on the 20-year-old and the impact he has had at the Bernabeu.

“[Bellingham’s] impact has been massive. It’s a different team from last season.” He said via Goal.

“His influence is obvious, and we have to try to discover what he does to control it. Facing Real Madrid is always a tough challenge, nobody can deny it.”

The two sides are set to face off on the 9th of April with the second leg taking place at the Etihad Stadium the following week.