Manchester City fans took a jab at Real Madrid's Vinícius Júnior ahead of their highly anticipated Champions League playoff match on Tuesday, displaying a provocative banner featuring City midfielder Rodri with the Ballon d'Or trophy accompanied by the Oasis lyrics "Stop crying your heart out."
The banner referenced the controversial Ballon d'Or award decision from October, where Rodri narrowly edged out Vinícius by a mere 41 points out of 6,633 total points. The result led to a notable boycott of the Paris ceremony by Vinícius and Real Madrid representatives. However, Vinícius would later claim victory in FIFA's the Best men's award, FIFA's equivalent individual honor.
This latest chapter adds to the intensifying rivalry between these European powerhouses, who are meeting in the Champions League knockout stages for the fourth consecutive season. The matchup has proven to be particularly significant, as the winner of their encounters has gone on to lift the prestigious trophy in recent years.
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti acknowledged the fixture's growing importance, comparing it to a Clásico due to their frequent meetings. "I still think City are one of the best teams in Europe. City have the best coach [Pep Guardiola] in this competition. It's one of the most difficult games you can have ... And the same goes for us, we're competitive, despite the emergency we face," Ancelotti stated during Monday's pre-match news conference.
Recent history between these clubs has been evenly matched. Last season, Real Madrid advanced on penalties after two drawn matches in the quarterfinals, eventually securing the championship against Borussia Dortmund. The previous year saw Manchester City dominate with a 5-1 aggregate victory in the semifinals before completing their historic treble by defeating Inter Milan. In the 2021-22 season, Real Madrid triumphed in the semifinals before going on to beat Liverpool in the final.
Ancelotti emphasized the match's significance, noting, "The team that goes through to the next round has the possibility to go far in the competition. In the last years, the team that won this tie, won the Champions League."
