Tev: My pal Messi is the best in the world – not you, Ron

SECOND BEST ... Cristiano Ronaldo

This will be the first time Ronaldo, 27, has played back in town since his £80million move to the Spanish capital in the summer of 2009.

It is a crucial Champions League night for Madrid as well as City as the Euro fate of all four teams in the group still hangs in the balance.

But Tevez, 28, is sure the occasion will not get the better of Ronaldo.

He said: “Cristiano is one of the best. He does not seem to feel pressure. He will not feel pressure just because he is back in Manchester.

“He always plays freely and we will have to keep a special eye on him because he is such a great player.

“I think that you have got to try and make sure he doesn’t get in behind you. Once he gets a chance to face up to you and run at you he is very dangerous and he strikes the ball well too.

“So the way to try and stop him is do it further up the field because once he gets closer to the area he is a handful.”

City have started to click into gear in their Premier League title defence and Saturday’s 5-0 romp against Aston Villa saw them go top of the table.

Yet it has been a different story in Europe, with just two points taken from four matches in their ‘Group of Death’ with Borussia Dortmund, Real and Ajax.

Tevez added: “It’s a really tough group, the toughest in this year’s Champions League.

“But let’s not consider that as an excuse why we have not got the necessary points.

“We now have to try and turn that round.

“The players are convinced it is still possible. As long as it is mathematically possible, why not? As long as we go out determined to win the last two games, it depends on the other results.”

And Tevez — who won this competition with United and Ronaldo in 2008 — says City should not be considered flops if they do crash out.

He said: “They are two very different tournaments in style and, as a team, we are still growing.

“We need to be patient in order to achieve everything that we are aiming for.”

Meanwhile, City manager Roberto Mancini has told Mario Balotelli to watch Ronaldo closely if he ever wants to fulfil his potential.

The Italian bad-boy is returning from a back injury and is also out of favour so looks unlikely to start.

And he has been warned by Mancini he is in danger of throwing it all away.

Mancini said: “Mario outside the pitch is a fantastic guy. Sometimes he doesn’t understand how his job is important for his life — but I hope for him that he can understand this quickly.

“Now he is 22 but life can go quickly and I hope he can improve everything because, as a player, he could be like Cristiano and Messi.”

Mancini believes his team are capable of causing a shock tonight by beating Jose Mourinho’s men.

He said: “Real is the best team in the world with Barca. When you play Real, you play against 11 top players.

“But football is fantastic because if you play against Barca or Real you can win.”

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