October 15, 2022, 9:51 AM
October 15, 2022, 9:51 AM
The coach of Real Madrid, Carlo Ancelotti, recalled this Saturday that the Barcelona players “in the League have been spectacular”, before Sunday’s league classic, despite their bad run in the Champions League.
Barça is “a team that has won every game in the league, has drawn one, that has a very good run in the league,” Ancelotti explained at the press conference prior to the match.
“It is a team that from the beginning in the national competition has done very well, and has had some problems in the Champions League, where these problems usually occur, but in the League they have been spectacular,” said the merengue coach.
The Italian tried to reduce the euphoria before a duel in which Real Madrid is outlined better emotionally after achieving its ticket to the second round of the Champions League, while Barça is one step away from elimination.
The two teams are playing for the leadership of the Spanish championship, but Ancelotti tried to take away iron.
“We have the illusion of playing a classic, of showing a good image and winning for our fans, but it’s not a life or death game, it’s a special game, but the season is very long,” Ancelotti said.
The merengue coach added that this time he will not experiment after trying a new tactic in the classic second leg of the League last March, in which he lost 4-0 to Barça.
‘I don’t want to invent’
“I don’t want to invent,” Ancelotti said, recalling that “last year I tried to invent something and they gave me a stick.”
The Italian coach also denied that he can learn from the match that Barça drew 3-3 with Inter on Wednesday in the Champions League.
“We play differently from Inter (…) Tomorrow it will be a different and more even game,” said the Merengue coach, who will not be able to count on goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois for the match, who is still convalescing from sciatica.
“He is quite well, he is quite well, he has trained little and he is still not comfortable, so for tomorrow he is ruled out,” Ancelotti said.
“He’s going to train more continuously next week, we’ll see if he can be on Wednesday or Sunday. He’s out of his problem and he just needs training,” explained Ancelotti.
Real Madrid will be able to count on Antonio Rüdiger instead, who will play with a mask after the blow he suffered with the rival goalkeeper when he scored the equalizer against Shakhtar on Tuesday, for which he had to receive 20 points to the head.
“He’s fine. He has a mask so that the wound doesn’t reopen, but he’s comfortable. He has no discomfort,” Ancelotti said, calling his defense a “warrior.”
The merengue coach did not hide the importance of being able to count on Rüdiger because he is “very strong in head duels in both areas”, and “brings his mentality, he is a winner who never stops”.
Ancelotti also praised the young Brazilian Rodrygo Goes, although without wanting to reveal whether he will start on Sunday or will be a possible shock from the bench.
“He’s an extraordinary player, forceful,” said Ancelotti, before ruling that “he can play in all the positions up front. That’s an advantage for him.”
