On Wednesday night, El Clasico will take place in Riyadh to decide the finalist of the Spanish Super Cup. Carlo Ancelotti spoke to the press on the eve of the Spanish Super Cup semi-final tie against Barcelona (Wednesday, 8 pm CET). The madridista boss had the following to say: “We come into it in good shape and with the utmost excitement and the right attitude that we need to try and come away with the Super Cup, which is the first trophy of the season”.
“Anything can happen in a game of football. You can win, lose or draw. We can't draw tomorrow as there has to be a winner come the end of the game. We’ll have to perform as best we can tomorrow, whilst being aware that we're up against strong opposition who have had more problems than us this season, but it's a one-off game between two teams that have the same objective, which is to reach the final".
Starting line-up: “I have some question marks, Carvajal is one of them because he's returning from injury and it's one we have to assess. We’lll have to have a look at things on the right-hand side because we got players with fresh legs that we could use, such as Rodrygo instead of Asensio. Those are the only question marks that I've got in my mind. The team is in good shape and Jović is now back. The eve of the game will be like every time when we play Barcelona. There’ll be a bit of concern, great desire and real excitement. It'll be an entertaining game. Every game against Barcelona is and we enjoy being involved in these kinds of games”.
Alaba: “I haven't asked him about his thoughts on the difference between Spanish and German football. He has adapted really well and I didn't have any doubts that he would because I know him and am aware what a good professional he is and the quality he’s got. In recent years, he’s played at centre-back and has performed very well and I think that his partnership with Militão is working out really well for us”.
"It's always going to be an even game. The LaLiga standings don't count for anything. It's a Spanish Super Cup semi-final. The game starts all square at 0-0 and it'll be a tight match, just like the one at the Camp Nou in the first half of the season before Xavi took over”, he added.
Favourite Barcelona player: “They’re a team that, apart from the veterans such as Piqué, Busquets and Jordi Alba, who always bring something to the side, are currently earring a reputation for the young players who are coming through, with the likes of Gavi and Nico. They’re players that I believe could have great futures ahead of them”.
Xavi’s Barça: “I like them as a team because they’ve got a pretty clear idea about their playing style. They're following the club’s identity and they've had a very good run following his appointment. I think that his contribution, ideas and attitude will see the team improve”.
When asked if he has a bad feeling about the game: “No. I'm always really scared by every game. I was as nervous as I'd ever been for the Valencia game. The same goes for this match. I'd be worried if the players thought that we were favourites. The players don't believe that and nobody within our camp believes that we’re favourites. We believe that we're capable of putting in a good performance and will be giving our all to win the game”.
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