Will Real Madrid's dreams be haunted by Manuel Pellegrini?

Half the Real Madrid side have links with Manchester declared Marca yesterday, as always the voice of Madrid, cranking up the volume about tonight’s match against Manchester City.

Toni Kroos and Dani Carvajal are City transfer targets; Ronaldo was at United; Bale might yet move to Old Trafford etc... but the link which gives their game with City real edge, ‘morbo’ as they call it in Spain, has scarcely been mentioned and is not on the pitch but off it.

Manuel Pellegrini insists he is not on a revenge mission. He says when he was put in charge at the Bernabeu in 2009, he knew “after just a few games” he would only be given one season and that in any case he was not in charge – which is why he would not have wanted to stay.