Real Madrid chief Carlo Ancelotti rejected the claim of Pep Guardiola that Manchester City has only one percent of the chance to reach the last 16 Champions League.
Guardiola was the lower part of the weekend when he asked to evaluate the second place in the playgoing in the Santiago Bernabeu, and Madrid held an advantage 3-2 after the first game at Etihad last week.
An experienced Italian Ancelotti says his side has a “little advantage” and thinks that the former Barcelona chief is a bit naughty.
He said, “Really don’t think so. I will ask him tomorrow before the game. He thinks he has more [chance]We don’t think we have 99 percent [chance]. We think we have a little advantage, but we have to use it and play the same game as in the first part, which went well. “
Shorta is not 0-0!
The old proverb that ‘the result is 0-0’ on the eve of the other leg, also destroyed Ancelotti, who says players know what they have to do.
He added: “You can tell the players that we have no advantage and that we have to approach the game as if it were 0-0, but that is nonsense and no one trusts you. There is an objective fact and that is that we scored three goals and city two.
“That can’t change. What can change is the team attitude and access to the game without calculating. The goal is to play the same game as a week ago, but we cannot forget that we have an advantage. “
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9️⃣ @Kmbabappe pic.twitter.com/wyobdd3z1m– Real Madrid Cf 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadenid) February 18, 2025
Team plays well, insists on Accelotti
Madrid won only one of the last three games, but Ancelotti is not overly concerned, since these matches came against Atletico Madrid, City and Osasun, when his side was lowered to 10 men in the first half after Jude Bellingham was sent.
“The last three games have been sought and we have only got one good result, which was against the city, but the team plays well,” he said.
“This gives us confidence and a positive spirit. We have to continue playing well, with quality and, above all, what has been stressed in the last few games has been a victim and a collective commitment we managed to have.”
Rudiger returns
Madrid withdrew a makeshift four at Etihad last week, but tomorrow he will be enhanced by the return of the key central half of Antoni Rudiger.
The German defender has missed the last five games with a lower leg injury, but will start against City, allowing Ancelotti to move Aurelien Tchouvee to his more common defense role in the middle of the field.
“Rudiger can play from the very beginning, tchouumen can play as a turn and [Raul] Asencio can play as a central back, “he said.
