Monday 25 April 2016 18:29, UK
Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini says his team need to play with 'hot hearts and cold minds' when they face Real Madrid.
The City team are sure to be fired up for the first leg of their first-ever Champions League semi-final, which will take place in front of a partisan Etihad Stadium crowd on Tuesday night.
And Pellegrini says that, rather than just enjoying the occasion, his team need to go all-out to ensure they march on to the final.
However, recalling how they were reduced to 10 men when knocked out by Barcelona in 2014 and 2015, Pellegrini wants controlled aggression on this occasion.
"It is very important to enjoy the semi-final, as it's not an achievement we do every year," he said.
"But it's important not to be comfortable because we are at this stage. Everyone wants to continue, to play the final. Tomorrow we'll see a team that will play to win.
"It's important to reach this final, as it reflects the work we are doing for three years.
"Emotionally it is very important to have a hot heart but a cold mind, I think that is the lesson we must learn.
"Against Barcelona we played with one player less both times. We need our emotions under control tomorrow."
Despite the array of attacking talent in the Real squad, Pellegrini says his team will not be approaching the game with a defensive mindset.
But he does not think they can be too gung-ho, bearing in mind that the second leg will be at the Bernabeu.
"The way you win a title is very important," he said. "We won't just try to defend to reach the final. I have always tried to have a team who play good football, play well.
"I think there is an advantage to playing at home second. You know what you've got to do.
"You never quite know when you play at home first. You don't want to take too much of a risk because you know, if you concede, then it could be decisive at the end of the tie.
"We want to go into the game in a balanced way. We want to stop them scoring an away goal and, if we can score ourselves, then great."
The tie brings Pellegrini, who will leave City at the end of the season, up against the side who sacked him in 2010 after a single season at the helm.
The Chilean boss is not thirsting for revenge, however, and said: "I don't look back. I always prefer to think about what is happening now."
