Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti has rejected Pep Guardiola’s claim that Manchester City has only one percent of the Champions League in the last 16 of the Champions League.
Guardiola was under the weekend when he was asked to evaluate his second leg tomorrow night at Santiago Bernabeu with Madrid holding a 3-2 advantage after the first game at Etihad last week.
Organic Italian Ancelotti says his side has a “little advantage” and believes that the former Barcelona boss is a bit naughty.
He said: “He doesn’t really believe it. Tomorrow I will ask him before the game. He thinks he has more (opportunity), we don’t think we have 99 % (Chance). We believe we have a little advantage, but we have to exploit it and play the same game as in the first leg, which went well.
The rating is not 0-0!
The old proverb that the “score is 0-0” in front of a second leg was also exhausted by Ancelotti, who says players know what to do.
He added: “You can tell the players that we do not have the advantage and that we have to approach the game as if it were 0-0, but this is nonsense and no one believes you. There is an objective event and that is that we scored three goals and the City two.
“This cannot be changed. What can be changed is the attitude and approach of the team to the game without making calculations. The goal is to play the same game as a week ago, but we cannot forget that we have the advantage . “
5⃣⃣ @Bellinghamjude
9⃣⃣ @Kmbappe pic.twitter.com/wyobdd3z1m– Real Madrid CF 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) 18 February 2025
The team is playing well, insists ancelotti
Madrid has only won one of the last three games, but Ancelotti is not too worried, as the matches have come against Atletico Madrid, the City and Osasuna, when his side was reduced to 10 men in the first half after the shipment by Jude Bellingham.
“The last three games have demanded and we have only one good result, which was against the city, but the team is playing well,” he said.
“This gives us confidence and a positive spirit. We must continue to play well, with quality and, above all, what stood out in the last games was the sacrifice and collective commitment we could have.”
Rudiger returns
Madrid returned an improvised back four to Etihad last week, but will be reinforced tomorrow with the return of the main central half Antonio Rudiger.
Germany’s defender has lost the last five games with an injury, but will start against the city, allowing Aurelotti to move Aurelien Tchouameni to his most common defense role.
“Rudiger can play from the beginning. Tchouameni can play as a shaft and (raul) Asencio can play as a center-back,” he said.
