Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti was asked about Atletico Madrid’s provocative tweets and the … [+] two teams meeting in the Champions League ahead of a La Liga clash with Girona on Saturday.
Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti was asked about Atletico Madrid’s provocative tweets and the two teams meeting in the Champions League ahead of a La Liga clash with Girona on Sunday.
Madrid is currently at loggerheads with the league, its president Javier Tebas and referees over match officiating, which Atletico hasn’t wasted the opportunity to poke fun at online.
Asked about provocative tweets by Atleti, Ancelotti answered: “I already have difficulty understanding what a tweet is… I don’t look at these things.”
Currently locked in a tight title race with one another, while also capable of meeting in the Copa del Rey final should they get past FC Barcelona in Atleti’s case and Real Sociedad in Madrid’s, the two crosstown foes have been thrust into a last 16 Champions League knockout tie next month as well.
Asked how he saw the ‘EuroDerby’ as it was called, Ancelotti answered: “Difficult, as always.”
“It’s going to be a beautiful, entertaining, and balanced tie. The quality of the two teams is similar.”
When it was put to him whether the two outfits from the capital are “equally favourites” in La Liga this term, Ancelotti said: “A competitive league like here in Spain is difficult. Here are three teams with one point between them, and they are teams of a very high level. It is a league that will be decided in the last game.”
Barca of course leads the Spanish top flight on goal difference, and can be three points ahead of Los Blancos before they take on Girona providing the Blaugrana beats Las Palmas earlier on Saturday night.
Ancelotti highlighted the fact that it’s a “an important moment of the season”.
“We have to repeat the good version [we showed]
against [Manchester] City. You can’t fail, the league is very competitive and every game is vital to get to the end of the competition well.”
On taking just two points from a possible nine, Ancelotti said that his men “have been a bit unlucky”.
“In the last three games we have done quite well. We have to continue on this line, because if you play well and have a good attitude, the result will reward you,” he concluded on this.
