Carlo Ancelotti says Real Madrid start of flying season shows they can be competitive Liverpool, City of Manchester and Bayern Munich to win the Champions League.
Madrid have won eight straight games in all competitions, a form that leaves them eight points clear as La Liga leaders in Spain and top of Group D of the Champions League ahead of the match against Madrid. Inter Milan at the Bernabeu on Tuesday.
– ESPN FC 100: Introducing the top male players and managers of 2021
– Daily ESPN FC live stream on ESPN+ (US only)
“I can’t say if we’ll be the favorites, but I can say we can compete with all those teams,” Ancelotti said in a press conference when asked about Liverpool, City and Bayern. .
“With the quality and experience we have, we can compete. Then we’ll have to wait and see.
“If you want to win this competition you have to face the best teams in the world whether it’s in the round of 16, in the quarterfinals… I think we can compete. I don’t know. whether we win or not, but competition yes, for sure.”
Madrid was outperformed by Chelsea in the semi-finals of the Champions League last season under former coach Zinedine Zidane, who defeated Liverpool in the previous round.
Ancelotti has won Europe’s premier club competition three times as a manager – with AC Milan in 2003 and 2007 and with Madrid in his first in 2014 – but said he is not yet thinking about lifting the trophy next May.
“So far I don’t have that idea in mind,” he said. “We are playing well, and tomorrow’s match is the one we want to play: at the Bernabeu, against a strong team. Getting to the final is difficult but that’s the goal.”
Speaking earlier, midfielder Casemiro hailed Ancelotti as “an icon” and said he was “surprised that he still wants to prove himself as the best coach in the world.”
“Personally, I don’t need to prove anything to anyone,” replied Ancelotti. “I have one [coaching] The staff is enthusiastic and eager to learn. We matched well, their enthusiasm with my experience. “
Casemiro was asked about Madrid’s transfer targets Kylian Mbappe – saying he has been “in the top three in the world recently” – and denied that there would be a problem fitting both left-wing forwards into the same team.
“Mbappe will be compatible with any player in the world,” he said. “Mbappe and Vinicius, both are in incredible moments in their careers, I think they could get along any time. But he’s not our player.”
