Madrid: Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti aims to secure an advantage to take to the Etihad Stadium when his side hosts Manchester City in the first leg of their Champions League semifinal Tuesday.
Speaking to the press Monday, Ancelotti dismissed concerns about tiredness from his side’s Copa del Rey final win against Osasuna on Saturday night and confirmed Luka Modric will start in the game, reports Xinhua.
“What counts is the motivation and enthusiasm we have. After winning the Copa del Rey, we will be more motivated,” he insisted.
“The decisive match will be the second leg. We want to take advantage tomorrow,” said the coach, who explained that an advantage meant “having a positive result. A small advantage also means feeling good in the game.”
“It’s not just the result. If you manage to avoid problems, it can also be a small advantage. We’ll try to get it right tomorrow,” added Ancelotti.
He commented on Manchester City, who currently lead the Premier League by a point, calling them “a more complete team.”
Last season, Real Madrid beat them in the semifinal with two dramatic late goals.
“Last year, they had a very dangerous striker in Gabriel Jesus, but he was very different from Haaland. Now they take advantage of the long game. This does not mean they have changed their style. They are very well organised at the back and play the ball well,” he said.
He was also asked about Haaland, who has 35 goals in the Premier League and 12 in Europe.
“He is very dangerous, and he is really impressive in scoring goals,” Ancelotti said before warning that “talking about Haaland means not talking about a complete team that attacks.”
“We are not preparing a game to stop Haaland, but rather to stop a team that seems unstoppable. But I think we may have options. We can win,” he concluded.
