Real Madrid manager, Carlo Ancelotti, is not getting carried away by the big advantage his team have over Liverpool as they prepare to lock horns at the Santiago Bernabeu in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 on Wednesday.
Los Blancos have a three-goal margin going into Wednesday’s clash following their huge 5-2 win at Anfield three weeks ago.
The result makes the reigning European champions favourites to progress to the quarter-finals but Ancelotti is rather being cautious as he believes Liverpool will want to pile on the pressure from kick-off which might put the Spanish giants in a very tough situation.
“Mentally and philologically, tomorrow’s game for us is more complicated for us than for Liverpool,” Ancelotti said in a pre-match press conference.
“They will see to the fullest from the first minute and it doesn’t matter what happens. The first leg result puts us in doubt.”
Ancelotti went on to address Eden Hazard’s claim of a broken relationship with him.
The former Belgium international has seen very limited game time this season with just seven apperances in all competitions, three each in La Liga and the Champions League, which Ancelotti explained was as a result of competition for places in the team.
“Even if we don´t speak much, even if he’s not playing much, he respects me, and I value that a lot,” the former AC Milan manager stated.
“I respect him too, the same exact way. This is the most important thing for me. Why doesn’t Hazard play? Hazard doesn´t play because there’s a lot of competition. I don’t have to hide it: there´s a player in this position whose performance is great. And that’s Vinicius.”
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???? #RMCity pic.twitter.com/T8jzurLuyL— Real Madrid C.F. ???????????????? (@realmadriden) March 12, 2023
Wednesday’s other Round of 16 clash will see Italian Serie A leaders Napoli host Eintracht Frankfurt at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. The Partenopei hold a 2-0 lead from the first leg in Germany courtesy of goals from red-hot Nigerian Victor Osimhen and Giovanni Di Lorenzo.
