Real Madrid's head coach, Italian Carlo Ancelotti, stated that Manchester City, his team's opponent in the Champions League quarter-final second leg tomorrow, does not keep him up at night. He noted that statistics exist to be broken, especially given Real Madrid's negative record at the Etihad Stadium. Real Madrid has never won at the Etihad, and City has not lost at home in the Champions League since September 2018.
Ancelotti emphasized that "we should not dwell on the past, but look forward to tomorrow. Competing, fighting, and having confidence is what we are trying to do. The first leg ended in a draw, and now we have another 90 minutes; anything can happen."
The coach added: "We trust that we have enough quality to create problems... There is no one who keeps me awake. I have confidence in the team and what we have done this season. We are in a good position now. There is nothing that keeps me up at night."
Ancelotti remarked, "Statistics are there to be broken. In many instances, Real has achieved what was not expected. Statistics are good for the fans, but they exist to be broken. We have faced each other in the last three years. The matches have always been fantastic, and I hope the same applies to tomorrow's matches."
Regarding the praise directed at his player Jude Bellingham, Ancelotti stated that he only asks players to "work hard for the team." He added, "This means commitment and discipline. Bellingham has done what no one expected of him in the first half of the season, and now he must continue to work for the team."
He further commented, "Bellingham is really good. He is a modern midfielder capable of covering many spaces. He is one of the most important players in Real Madrid's future, as he is only 20 years old. We sometimes forget this. He is a professional and a great player."
Concerning Manchester City, he concluded: "If we talk about individual players, Haaland remains one of the most dangerous players of the opponent, and his limited presence in the first leg was due to our defense."
