Ancelotti’s funny message to Guardiola before the second leg

After the incredible 3-3 draw in the first leg between Real Madrid and Manchester City, Carlo Ancelotti assured that he would not surprise his opponent Pep Guardiola with his tactical organization on Wednesday night at the Etihad Stadium.

“Pep Guardiola can keep calm, I don’t want to do any magic tomorrow (Wednesday),” joked Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti on the eve of the Champions League quarter-final second leg at Manchester City.

The coaches meet each other for the third season in a row in the knock-out phase of the European competition. In the first leg (3-3) in Madrid, Ancelotti “surprised” his Spanish counterpart with his tactical animation, according to Guardiola’s admission.

Should we expect a new tactical move for the return? “No,” the Real Madrid coach replied on Tuesday at a press conference. “We know each other very well. Pep can keep calm, I’m not going to do any magic tomorrow.”

“The games against City have always been spectacular and entertaining, tomorrow will be the same,” projected Ancelotti. Real’s last visit to Manchester, last season in the semi-final second leg, ended with a clear 4-0 victory for the English club.

Analyze the first leg instead of previous seasons

“I don’t think there is a need to analyze what happened in the past. On the other hand, we have to remember what happened a week ago,” Ancelotti said. Regardless, “we have to be competitive, fight and believe in what we’re trying to do today. Anything can happen, but we think we have the qualities to cause them problems.”

The former coach of AC Milan, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain assured that the reunion with Guardiola would not disturb his sleep. “No, nothing prevents me from sleeping. The only thing that can keep me from sleeping is if I eat a little too much tonight. I have a lot of confidence in my team,” he said.

Midfielder Jude Bellingham said he was “more nervous” about attending a press conference than playing the game at the Etihad on Wednesday. “These are the games we join Real for, I can’t wait to be there,” he said.

For the English national team player, both clubs have the same chances to qualify before the second leg. “I don’t go to bookmakers, so I don’t know the favourites, but we are a good team ourselves,” he replied with a smile. “We have confidence in ourselves and our abilities in the dressing room.