Real Madrid supervisor Carlo Ancelotti is making no assumptions about what lies forward towards Liverpool regardless of Jurgen Klopp’s aspect dealing with a seemingly-impossible activity within the Bernabeu.
The Champions League holders bounced again from two early objectives at Anfield to win 5-2 and that three-goal cushion – coupled with the actual fact they’ve solely as soon as failed to attain of their final 66 European residence matches – seems to have put them on the verge of the quarter-finals.
However, Ancelotti, who as AC Milan supervisor famously suffered a exceptional 45-minute comeback by Liverpool to win the 2005 remaining, is taking nothing as a right and may level to final season’s quarter-final second leg at residence to Chelsea – which they misplaced 3-2 however progressed by advantage of their 3-1 win at Stamford Bridge.
If something, Ancelotti desires his aspect to go on the assault.
“The message is quite simple: not to assume,” mentioned the Italian.
“The players understand that I think it will be an open match as Liverpool come here trying to change the dynamic.
“We have to do both things, attacking and defending, properly. We will not just defend, we are thinking about the attack.”
No crew in Champions League historical past has ever misplaced the house leg of a knock-out tie by three objectives and recovered.
Nevertheless, Ancelotti insists his aspect have the harder balancing act.
“From a psychological level, the match is more complex for us than Liverpool,” he added.
“Liverpool come here to give it their all and do their best from minute one, whatever happens. We saw that from the first leg.
“We will try to do all we can from the beginning but we have more questions than the opponent.”
Striker Karim Benzema is match after lacking the weekend win over Espanyol however it’s winger Vinicius Jr – who scored the 2 objectives to stage issues up earlier than half-time at Anfield – who’s prone to be the main menace within the hosts’ primarily counter-attacking plan.
The Brazil worldwide can be up towards right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold, who will virtually actually be inspired to push ahead at each alternative as his aspect chase objectives.
“Vinicius, I believe, is on a good track to write Real Madrid’s history in the next few years. It has been written by (Toni) Kroos, (Luka) Modric, Karim, Casemiro – that group was amazing,” mentioned Ancelotti.
Defender Antonio Rudiger was a part of that Chelsea crew which nearly pulled off a shock final 12 months however now he’s taking a look at issues from the opposite aspect of the fence.
“They (Liverpool) have a good attacking team. They played against a big rival and scored seven so that tells me they rise up to big occasion and we need to be aware of that,” mentioned the centre-back.
“But like my former coach (Thomas Tuchel) said when we played against Real Madrid, everyone knows Real Madrid are a very good counter-attacking team with Benzema and Vinicius and their abilities.
“My coach said you play against Real Madrid, you play against the badge and they always prove people right, that this badge is something bigger.”
