Ancelotti likens Barca to a lion
According to Managing Madrid, Ancelotti was in a good mood when he entered the press conference before the El Clasico match on March 17, leading to many funny and interesting moments. The Italian coach began by confirming captain Karim Benzema is ready to play. The French striker missed a few training sessions due to pain after the 1-0 win over Liverpool in the second leg of the 1/8 Champions League round on March 15, but returned in time.
After that, Ancelotti emphasized that Real could not approach the El Clasico with the mindset "that I'm going to the party" and must see Barca as "a lion, not a cat". According to the 63-year-old coach, Real must prepare and play well, individually and collectively, defensively and in attack, because "it is difficult to predict how Barca will play". He analyzed: "Last game, Barca went deep in defense, but scored early and tried to preserve the advantage. But if Real scores early, it will be the opposite. In any case, we will play the ball. attack stone".
Ancelotti mentioned Real's 0-1 loss to Barca in the first leg of the King's Cup semi-final on March 2 with Eder Militao's counter-kick. This match, the royal team held the ball 65% - the most in nearly 10 years in El Clasico, but only 13 shots missed the target. Before that, Real also lost to Barca in the final of the Spanish Super Cup in January.
In both these matches, Ronald Araujo was pushed to the right-back and controlled Vinicius well, causing Real's attack to come to a standstill. Ancelotti said these two players understand each other well and leave open the possibility for the Brazilian striker to play more widely. "It can be important for Vinicius to move around a lot," he said. "Not having a striker in a fixed position makes it more difficult for defenders. Vinicius will still play on the left wing, but can move more this game."
Real is second in La Liga with 56 points, nine points behind Barca. Therefore, Ancelotti wants his students to attack from the beginning to win and create a turning point in the championship race. "Both teams know each other very well and we have no secrets. All the pre-match planning is about how each team can punish the opponent," he added of Real's preparations.
The Italian coach said that the whole team has kept good fitness since the away match against Bilbao on January 22, and is doing well in terms of technique and tactics. Therefore, he is confident that Real can exert themselves in the last three months of the season to win at least one major title this season. In addition to La Liga and the King's Cup, the royal team also reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League against Chelsea.
Ancelotti is committed to his future even if Real do not win a trophy this season. "It's something the club has to evaluate. They will decide at the end of the season, but I want to continue," said the three-time Champions League winner. "As long as the club wants me here, I will enjoy it, whether they want me here for three months or three years."
