Rabbi Matondo, the 18-year-old kid released by Manchester City, touches down with Schalke team-mates ahead of Champions League decider
- Rabbi Matondo has travelled with Schalke for second leg against Man City
- The youngster could face his former side in Tuesday night’s decisive clash
- Schalke squad touched down in Manchester on Monday ahead of the match
- The German side have it all to do and trail City 3-2 after the first-leg defeat
Rabbi Matondo could get an opportunity to down his former side as he returns to Manchester City for Schalke’s second leg clash at the Etihad this week.
The 18-year-old Welshman has travelled and touched down in Manchester ahead of the decisive Champions League match with the rest of his team-mates on Monday afternoon.
Matondo, although was well-regarded by the City coaches, was allowed to leave for Germany back in January after Schalke splashed out £11million on the young forward.
Rabbi Matondo arrives in Manchester with Schalke ahead of clash against former side City
Nabil Bentaleb (L) poses for a photo with a fan as Ahmed Kutucu (R) walks towards team bus
A fan is seen taking a picture of the former City player after Matondo and Co landed in England
He didn’t feature in the first leg clash – which finished 3-2 to City – but could find himself in familiar territory on Tuesday night, having spent three years in the club’s academy and will no doubt be chomping at the bit to make his mark.
Haunting a former club has become a bit of a theme in this tie with Leroy Sane scoring a stunning eqauliser in Gelsenkirchen before Raheem Sterling hit a last-gasp winner.
Former Tottenham midfielder, Nabil Bentaleb, who grabbed a brace from the spot in the first leg, received a decent reception as he arrived in Manchester on Monday with one fan taking the opportunity to grab a quick photo with him.
Schalke defender Sascha Riether was also spotted signing a quick autograph on a fan’s shirt as he left the airport.
The Schalke squad boarded the team coach to head over to their hotel to settle in after landing in Manchester.
Schalke defender Sascha Riether signs a quick autograph on a fan’s shirt outside the airport
Schalke boarded team bus shortly after arriving to go to their hotel ahead of Tuesday’s game
Matondo, meanwhile, has admitted he could not reject the chance to leave City for first-team football in Germany.
He told The Sun: ‘It was an offer I couldn’t turn down. In footballing terms I wasn’t a regular around the first team.
‘I trained with the first team and it was a good experience training with Pep and the other players. They are top players.
‘It is not City’s fault, they have a wonderful team with wonderful players. But if you want to break in at City it is not going to be easy.
‘If I had stayed there, then I would have tried my best to break through.
‘But I had other options and I thought it was the best time for me and my footballing ability to progress somewhere else.’