Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti will make a big call when putting out his team that faces … [+]
Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti will make a big call when putting out his team that faces Manchester City in the Champions League playoffs second leg on Wednesday.
Speaking at his prematch press conference the day before, Ancelotti said that he expected an “entertaining, complicated, difficult match”.
“We are trying to prepare well and recover players. The idea is to plan the same match, taking into account all the difficulty of this type of game. It’s a tie in which we play everything in 90 minutes,” he further added.
Aware the FC Barcelona legend might be trying to play mind games, Ancelotti refused to accept that his City opposite number Pep Guardiola truly believes the Mancunians – trailing 3-2 on aggregate after losing the first leg at home – only have a 1% chance of making it to the last 16.
“I’m going to ask him tomorrow before the game,” Ancelotti said. “He thinks he has more [of a chance], just as we don’t think we have 99%. We think we have a small advantage, [and we need to] take advantage of it and play the same game as in the first leg, which went well.
Though it does boast said advantage, Madrid has been known to make things difficult for itself in the Champions League knockout phase by then squandering it in the second leg.
“This is a psychological issue, which we take into account. It’s happened many times, but it’s also hard to fix. If you say that you approach the game as a 0-0 it’s silly. Nobody believes you, because you can’t change the 3-2. What you can change is the approach of the match, not make calculations. But you can’t forget that you have an advantage,” Ancelotti stressed.
At the same sitdown with the press, Ancelotti confirmed that his previously injured defender Antonio Rudiger can play from the start and he’ll therefore take a punt on the German partnering Raul Asencio in the heart of the back line.
That pair will try to protect Thibaut Courtois’ goal from Erling Haaland, with a Fede Valverde who had to address criticism online and Ferland Mendy the right and left backs.
Aurelien Tchouameni moves up to midfield to form a double pivot with Dani Ceballos, as a Jude Bellingham red-carded at Osasuna is more advanced while flanked by left winger Vinicius Jr. and right winger Rodrygo behind central number 9 Kylian Mbappe.
Real Madrid First XI Vs. Manchester City: Courtois; Mendy, Rudiger, Asencio, Valverde; Ceballos, Tchouameni; Vinicius, Bellingham, Rodrygo; Mbappe
