Craig Burley and Steve Nicol explain why Real Madrid vs Manchester City was one of the most exciting Champions League matches in recent memory. (2:10)
Carlo Ancelotti has backed his Real Madrid side to reach the Champions League semi-finals, saying they will repeat the performance that saw them draw 3-3 with Manchester City on Tuesday in next week’s second leg.
Bernardo Silva gave City the lead early on at the Santiago Bernabeu, before an own goal from Rúben Dias and a goal from Rodrygo two minutes later gave Madrid the lead at half-time.
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Spectacular performances from Phil Foden and Josko Gvardiol gave City the lead again, before Fede Valverde made it 3-3 to leave the tie early for the match on Wednesday 17 April.
“We wanted to get a slight advantage, but we have to be satisfied because we are competing,” Ancelotti told Movistar. “If we do that [in Manchester], anything smart can happen. “
“As long as we had the power to put pressure on the top guys and make them uncomfortable, we did well,” he added in his post-match press conference. “We started badly, conceding a goal, but then the team started to play, until the end of the ball and look for transitions. They scored two wonderful goals, but we had the will to get back into the game.
“It’s a game we might win. We had a chance to score 3-1. But we may have lost as well. We have the idea of playing the same game [in Manchester] with a lot of pressure, a lot of pressure. “duels, and let’s see what happens.
In last season’s Champions League semi-finals, Madrid and City drew 1-1 in the first leg at the Bernabeu before City won 4-0 in the second leg and qualified for the final.
“Unlike last year’s game, the idea is to face them like we did and see what happens,” Ancelotti said. “For our part, we are satisfied with what we have done and hope to repeat it in Manchester. “
City manager Pep Guardiola has criticised the state of the Bernabeu pitch, while structural paints on the remodelled stadium are still ongoing.
“[The stadium] is awesome,” he told Movistar. Now all they have to do is take care of the grass. They want to make it better. [Madrid’s president] Florentino [Perez] only has to worry about having a smart pitch, like Madrid have had. “
“That’s what my players said,” Guardiola added, asked about the comments in his press conference. “But you don’t have to take it the wrong way, the stadium is spectacular. “It was like a carpet and now it’s not like that. But I’m sure they’re going to fix it. “
Guardiola also said striker Foden, substituted in the 87th minute with an obvious injury, was not a main concern.
“Phil wasn’t worried in the first-half game, we didn’t locate him,” Guardiola said. “He wasn’t one of the most productive players, but he has that spark, that ability to score goals.
“It’s a hard blow. He got mad at me when I made the substitution, that means it’s fine. “