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          Real Madrid can be unstoppable at the Bernabeu - Man City chief Begiristain

          • Jonathan Smith, Manchester City correspondentApr 15, 2016, 07:07 AM ET

          Manchester City director of football Txiki Begiristain believes Real Madrid's remarkable comeback against Wolfsburg showed that they can be unstoppable, after the two sides were paired in the Champions League semifinals.

          The 10-time winners overturned a 2-0 deficit from their first leg to beat the Germans 3-0 at the Bernabeu, thanks to a hat trick from Cristiano Ronaldo, reaching the last four for the 27th time.

          Man City will be playing in their first ever Champions League semifinal and Begiristain insists that, while it will be a difficult game, it is one that City can win.

          "It is a big tie, the rival who has won the trophy most times and has just shown that in a return at the Bernabeu they can be unstoppable," he told beIN Sports. "But we are delighted to be here, to be in the semis, and with full right to keep dreaming. We know how difficult it is to reach this point, it will be difficult against Madrid too.

          "We are solid, as we have been lately in the Champions League against Dynamo Kiev and Paris St-Germain. We are also capable of playing football and making chances. That is the objective, to be solid, and then we can eliminate anyone."

          Begiristain added that City must not be intimidated by Madrid's rich history.

          "It is a team that plays open football, that can generate so much it can scare you. But the coaches and players will also know how to do them damage.

          "The difficulty is in the Bernabeu, in history, in how they can generate a lot of football in a short time. We will need to be solid at the back, not make mistakes and take the chances we make ourselves."

          "Madrid are the favourites -- they have been to 26 semis, six in a row. But we see ourselves capable of doing it.

          "PSG were also a great team, and we were able to knock them out. We are optimistic, we can dream, and I repeat it will be key to be solid, defend well, strong in the middle of the pitch, and then up front we can play football."

          Real are unbeaten in their last eight games against Premier League clubs and have won their last three matches against English teams.

          The two clubs have only met once before -- in the group stage of the 2012-13 season. Real Madrid won the first leg at the Bernabeu 3-2 on that occasion, with a last-minute winner from Ronaldo, while the sides drew 1-1 at the Etihad.

          Real will not make the mistake of underestimating City on this occasion, at least according to Blancos club spokesperson Emilio Butragueno.

          "We are at the semi-finals, so they are all big clubs, top level who can resolve games with forwards like [Sergio] Aguero and [David] Silva," Real's director of institutional relations said. "It is their first time in the semifinals, so they will be very motivated and want to do something big in Europe. We will have to play two games at very high level if we want to reach the final.

          "I remember here last year, in this same draw, and everybody said we had lots of luck with the draw, avoiding Barcelona and Bayern [Munich]. In the end Juve knocked us out.

          "When you reach the semis, you are talking about top level rivals who have quality to take on any challenge. We must play very, very well in both games, and our best players must show their best performance to aspire to be in the final."

          The draw also keeps alive the possibility of City meeting Pep Guardiola's Bayern Munich in the final in Milan on May 28, which will be the Spaniard's last game in charge of the German side before he takes over at the Etihad in the summer.

          "Pep will just have to concentrate on Bayern for now," Begiristain said.

          ESPN FC's Spain correspondent Dermot Corrigan contributed to this report.