Kylian Mbappe Reveals Team He Wishes To Play Against In UCL Round Of 16

Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe has expressed his desire to face Atletico Madrid instead of Bayer Leverkusen in the next round of the Champions League.

Kylian Mbappe stated this after helping Real Madrid secure a 3-1 victory over Manchester City with a hat-trick on Wednesday night, allowing Los Blancos to advance to the Round of 16 with a 6-3 aggregate score.

They are expected to be paired with either Atletico Madrid or Bayer Leverkusen in the next round of the competition.

Note that Atletico Madrid have been performing well this season, currently sitting in third place in La Liga, just one point behind the joint leaders, Real Madrid and Barcelona.

Diego Simeone’s team secured automatic qualification for the Champions League knockout stages, while Bayer Leverkusen also finished among the top eight.

While Kylian Mbappe admitted that facing Bayer Leverkusen or Atletico Madrid in the Champions League round of 16 would be tough, he would prefer to play against Atletico to avoid long trips.

The France international said: “It was a great performance. I want to make history with this club and these teammates.

“Bayer Leverkusen or Atleti next? Both dare difficult, but I prefer Atleti, so we save ourselves a trip!”

In the wake of Manchester City’s recent exit from the Champions League, manager Pep Guardiola identified four teams he believes can contend for the title this season.

He recognized that Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Liverpool, and Barcelona are all strong contenders for the trophy. Noting Carlo Ancelotti’s squad as the top favorites, Guardiola said, “Madrid are certainly contenders. However, the landscape of this Champions League season is filled with other formidable teams as well.”

Guardiola acknowledged the quality of various teams, emphasizing that Madrid has consistently been regarded as favorites for the title. He also praised the performances of Liverpool, Barcelona, and PSG, under the guidance of his friend Luis Enrique.