Barca's Gundogan praises arch-rivals Madrid for their winning mentality

Ilkay Gundogan has endured a confusing first season at Barcelona following his arrival from Manchester City as a free agent. The German midfielder has suffered some tough experiences such as the Champions League elimination against Paris Saint-Germain.

The 33-year-old hailed Real Madrid and spoke of his former team Manchester City's experiences in Europe's top competition, praising the winning mentality of their arch-rivals in La Liga.

"City were significantly more dominant against Real. But in the end Madrid made the right decisions at crucial moments. What impresses me about Real is that the team never panics, even when the score is 0-1 in the 85th minute.

"This is an extreme mental quality. And that can be a very good plan," he said in a way that hints at his interest in coaching in the future.