Ancelotti named the big favorite in the Champions League
Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti has admitted that he considers Manchester City the big favorites to win the Champions League and has expressed hope that his side will go as far as possible in the tournament. After his colleague Xavi Hernandez stated yesterday that the goal for Barcelona is to qualify for the Champions League eliminations, Ancelotti was also asked what Real Madrid will aim for in this edition of the competition: “Our goal is to fight until the very end of the tournament. First we have to get through the groups, then the round of 16 and the quarterfinals. I think we can say that we are capable of entering the top 4 without feeling too much pressure," he answered at his press conference today.
Carletto was also asked to comment on whether Manchester City are favorites to triumph in the tournament more than ever. "Yes, they are favorites there because they have the squad that brought them the trophy last season and they have hardly changed it. But there are always surprises in the final stages of the SHL. We have never considered ourselves favourites, nor do they at City. I said that they are like that only because they are the current champion", replied the Italian specialist. He also did not fail to praise tomorrow's opponent of the team - Union (Berlin). "The Champions League is always special for our club.
Tomorrow we will play with that mentality that we approach when we face something special. We will welcome at home a well organized, strong and solid opponent. We will have to show high intensity. Union is a debutant in this tournament, but if he is here, he performed very well last season. This team plays with a lot of intensity, but we learned it well. They don't have outstanding players there, but their squad is good," continued Ancelotti. In addition, the experienced coach ruled out Daniel Carvajal for tomorrow's game, gave information on the condition of the injured Arda Guler and confirmed that Luka Modric will start against Union.
"Carvajal has a muscle strain, so tomorrow he will rest and undergo examinations. He's fine so we don't think it's anything serious. Guler is recovering well and without problems, so he will train with the team on Monday. Modric is fine and I talk to him like I do to everyone else. We have a pretty good relationship. Sometimes he may not play as much as he used to, but always the bond between us will be fantastic even when we both leave the club. Considering what was said, tomorrow he will be a reserve (just kidding - n.b.). On the contrary, he will play tomorrow", he added.
