Carlo Ancelotti is confident ahead of Real Madrid‘s Champions League second leg against Arsenal. He trusts his squad to stage a comeback that he knows is very difficult, but he hopes that between the commitment and the fans, the Santiago Bernabéu can experience a new magical night.
Ancelotti demands the utmost
On a personal level, Ancelotti says he is “focused, with a very cool head. It’s not my first night like this… and hopefully not the last. More than worried, I’m excited about being a part of these games from the bench. This excitement allows me to keep a very cool head”.
Carlo Ancelotti wants the utmost from his players ahead of the match against Arsenal. “We need a game at our highest level to turn around a tie that is very difficult at the moment, with head, heart and guts. Hopefully it will be like that”.
He confirms that in the dressing room, the players believe in the comeback and that they will give everything they can to turn the result around. “The team is excited and motivated. Mentally we are in a very good place. We have to have a good handle on the game.” ”Because Real Madrid has all the resources to come back: quality, commitment, experience, fans… the resources are there. The only thing that remains is for each one of us to bring out the best in ourselves. But… well… in previous years they also said that we didn’t play spectacular football. And that may be true. But what Real Madrid wants more than spectacular football is effective football”.
Personally, ‘I want the player to go out onto the pitch with a very clear idea of what he has to do and I’m going to dedicate my time to that’. The idea is to ‘try to play an intense game, to press, to have more control than in the first leg’.
The future of Carlo Ancelotti
Everything indicates that Ancelotti’s future depends on this match and what happens in the league and whether he is able to come back from behind against Barcelona. However, the Italian coach believes that his future is not dependent on what happens tomorrow at the Santiago Bernabéu. When asked if he thought his future depended on tomorrow, he was categorical. “I don’t think so”.
The importance of the Santiago Bernabéu
Real Madrid are preparing for another magical night. It wouldn’t be the first time. Last season they came back in the last five minutes against Bayern Munich, or three seasons ago against PSG and, above all, against Manchester City, where they scored two goals in injury time to take the game into extra time. Now the fans are dreaming again of seeing Real Madrid in the next round.
“The Bernabéu has always helped us a lot and it’s going to help us a lot. It’s quite normal for an opponent who comes to play at the Bernabéu to say something like that. The pitch is always the same, the color of the grass is the same (he smiles). But you’ll see a supportive atmosphere”.
“Their support has helped us a lot on many occasions. Especially in recent years. Tomorrow we need a game at our highest level, because only with that can we turn around a tie that, as of today, is very complicated. Very difficult. But we want to change this thinking, as a player a serious game. With head, heart… with balls, as Alcaraz says and I like that a lot. Hopefully it will be like that. The team is excited, motivated. In terms of commitment, mentally, we are very good. Let’s not forget that it will be important to keep a cool head, because we will have to control the game”.
How do you see Arsenal?
“I would say they are a very well organized team. They are not the most experienced, but they have a very clear idea both defensively and offensively. They are very focused on what they have to do. And they are more focused on that than on the atmosphere.
Real Madrid will be playing in front of a packed house on Wednesday with the aim of turning the tie around. The fans will be the 12th player and a large number of fans are expected to be there hours before the match starts.