MADRID -- Pep Guardiola told his Manchester City team to use their Champions League tie with Real Madrid to prove they're capable of winning trophies this season.
City face the Spanish giants for the fifth season in a row on Wednesday, but will do so with a very different team following the departures of established stars like Kevin De Bruyne, Éderson, Kyle Walker and Ilkay Gündogan.
Rodri and John Stones are both unbelievable because of injury.
Guardiola said the loss of so much experience means his squad is "in transition."
But he's laid down the gauntlet to his players by insisting that the Bernabeu is the perfect place to show they have what it takes to challenge this season.
"We have important players right now who are here in the Bernabeu for the first time," Guardiola told a news conference on Tuesday. "We have a little bit of a transition. I'd say the biggest players, with the incredible legacies over one decade -- De Bruyne, Gündogan, Walker, Stones, Rodri -- are not here.
"Many players are new and have to experience that because if you want to make a step up in Europe you have to live these experiences, so next time you know that you have done it and can compete.
"It's always a good place to come to prove who you are as a team."
Bernardo Silva has experienced every emotion in the Bernabeu during his eight-and-a-half years at City, winning here in 2020 but also suffering heartbreak in the semifinals of the Champions League in 2022.
He returns as captain of Guadiola's new-look team and agrees with Guardiola that facing Madrid is a good test of City's level as they look to bounce back from last season's nightmare campaign.
"Maybe, yes," Silva said. "It's one more game and we will try to be the best version of ourselves and to add another three points to stay in the top eight.
"We know how tough it is to come here, we know how special it is to play in this stadium. It's definitely a very good test to come here and deal with this environment."
City face a Real Madrid side in turmoil after winning just two of their last seven games, and the poor run of form has prompted question marks about Xabi Alonso's future as coach.
Guardiola worked with Alonso while the latter was a player at Bayern Munich and said he has "sympathy" for the former Spain midfielder because of the level of scrutiny which comes with being in charge of LaLiga's biggest clubs.
"Barcelona and Madrid are the toughest clubs to be a manager, the pressure and environment," Guadiola said. "If I'd done last season [with City] here, I would have been sacked."
The task for Alonso could be even harder on Wednesday with star striker Kylian Mbappé at risk of missing the match due to an injury.
"It's difficult but he knows it, he has been here. They have a lot of absences," Guardiola added. "I know what happens when you want to build something. Of course he is capable of doing what is required in that position. Xabi knows what he has to do."