After reaching the Champions League quarter-finals on Wednesday, Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti stated his team was full of confidence. The record 14-time European champions defeated Liverpool 1-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu, 6-2 on aggregate, to go to the final eight.
Madrid is hoping to win the Champions League for the sixth time in ten seasons, and Ancelotti believes his team’s incredible march to triumph last season has instilled a lot of confidence in them.
Real Madrid confident in Champions League, says Ancelotti
Los Blancos staged spectacular comebacks against PSG, Chelsea, and Manchester City before defeating Liverpool in the final. Even in the first leg of the last 16 against Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool, Madrid fell two goals behind before storming back to win 5-2.
“We have a lot more confidence, because of what happened last year, it gave us a lot of confidence,” Ancelotti told reporters.
“We saw that in this tie, against a strong team, we did well in the two games.
“But later, with confidence alone, we don’t reach the semi-finals. We have to play surprising football … as always, the Champions League is very complicated and we have to compete until the end.”
The coach hailed the blend of youth and experience in his squad, with veteran midfielders Luka Modric and Toni Kroos, and youngster Eduardo Camavinga, playing well together against Liverpool.
“The atmosphere is created by the players — the intelligence, humility and patience of the veterans,” said Ancelotti.
“The key is the humility of the veterans, they don’t have egos, and the patience of the youngsters because in front of them are players who have had fantastic careers and still are.
“Modric and Kroos aren’t playing because of the careers they have had, they are playing because they deserve it.”
Klopp praised Real Madrid’s mentality in big European games.
“They are used to handling it in the best way, and we will have to see if they can do it again this year,” said the Liverpool coach.
“Unfortunately we will have to watch these big games from a distance.
“I don’t know who will win it, to be honest. It will be interesting to watch.”
