After a 3-0 victory against Brest, Carlo Ancelotti expressed his wish to avoid Manchester City in the next round of the Champions League. As a seeded team in the draw, Real Madrid will face either Celtic or Manchester City in a two-legged tie in February, with the return leg at the Santiago Bernabéu.
Ancelotti: “City is the favorite, but we are ready”
“We don’t like facing City, but if we have to, we will do it as we have done in the past,” Ancelotti said in the press conference. “City has a better chance of winning the Champions League.”
Despite the possibility of facing a tough opponent, the Italian coach emphasized that to win the trophy, you must beat the best teams: “It’s a knockout competition, and we have to win every match to go all the way.”
Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois also stressed this point: “If we want to win this competition, we have to beat the best.”
A tough start for Real Madrid
The Spanish club failed to qualify directly for the Round of 16 due to a difficult start, with three losses in the first five group-stage matches.
“We should have woken up earlier in this competition, but it is what it is,” admitted Ancelotti.
Finally, the coach criticized the competition format: “There are too many matches, and my view of football is to reduce the number of games for players, not increase them.” However, he praised Rodrygo’s contribution, highlighting his constant commitment to the team.