Alessandro Del Piero was on the sidelines of the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium ahead of Real Madrid’s Champions League semi-final clash with Manchester City, discussing ‘the point of no return’ in the tie.
The two sides are battling it out for a spot in the Champions League final, where they’ll face the winner of Milan–Inter. The Citizens and Los Blancos met in the semi-finals of the competition last season, a tie that saw the Spanish outfit reach the final after a 6-5 aggregate win.
For Manchester City, they hope the addition of Erling Haaland to the squad can help them finally achieve their first ever victory in the competition, whilst Real Madrid are hungry to find redemption after disappointing in La Liga this season.
Speaking to Sky Sports Italia via TMW ahead of the tie, Del Piero first discussed the pressures surrounding a tense clash like Real Madrid-Manchester City.
“The tunnel is the point of no return, as long as you are in the locker room you can talk openly with the coach and teammates, but that is where the glances and the show begins. It is the passage between secrets and not.”
He also touched on the importance of star striker Haaland, who has scored an incredible 51 goals in 46 games across all competitions this season.
“If he’s fit, he won’t think anything at all, because of the desire he has and the guy that he is. He will only think about how to hurt Real Madrid, knowing that there is an incredible team behind him and that the others are watching him closely.
“He can be the game changer, the one who breaks the balance. He does things that us humans…”