Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti believes that the winner of his side’s upcoming Champions League play-off clash with Manchester City will be a strong contender to lift the trophy. The two teams are meeting for the fourth consecutive season in Europe’s premier club competition, with the first leg taking place in Manchester on Tuesday.
This year’s matchup comes earlier than usual, as both sides struggled in the new-look league phase. City barely made it to the knockout stages, having to mount a second-half comeback in their final group match against Club Brugge. Their league form has also been disappointing, with the defending Premier League champions currently sitting fourth, 15 points behind leaders Liverpool, after a run of poor performances.
Real Madrid, on the other hand, are leading the La Liga title race, ahead of Atletico Madrid and Barcelona, despite facing injury setbacks in their defence. Nonetheless, Ancelotti believes that the winner of this encounter will have a strong chance of going deep into the competition, continuing the trend of the past three seasons, where the winner of this tie has gone on to lift the Champions League.
Despite City’s struggles, Ancelotti remains wary of their threat, praising their squad and manager. He acknowledged that City’s difficult period earlier in the season was a surprise but still considers them one of the best teams in Europe with the potential to hurt the reigning Champions League holders.
Real Madrid will be forced to field a makeshift defence due to a number of injury absentees, including Lucas Vazquez, Dani Carvajal, Eder Militao, Antonio Rudiger, and David Alaba. Midfielders Aurelien Tchouameni and Federico Valverde are expected to play in the back four alongside Raul Asencio and Ferland Mendy, presenting a significant challenge for Ancelotti’s side.
