Carlo Ancelotti says Real Madrid must play with more intensity if they are to keep their hopes of a record-extending 15th European title alive with their UEFA Champions League semi-final against Bayern Munich tied ahead of Wednesday’s second leg.
Madrid were crowned La Liga champions on Saturday with a four-match win over Cádiz 3-0 before watching their nearest rivals Barcelona slip to a 4-2 defeat against Girona.
But that success did not stop Ancelotti from criticizing Madrid’s performance in last week’s first leg against Bayern, a 2-2 draw at the Allianz Arena.
He warned his players that they could not afford another subpar performance if they are to feature in the final at Wembley Stadium on June 1.
“We need a game with intensity, with pace… Looking at the first game, we could have done a lot more defensively,” Ancelotti said at Tuesday’s pre-match press conference.
Bayer Leverkusen ended Bayern’s 11-year reign in the Bundesliga by securing the league crown last month. Still, Ancelotti says it will only increase Bayern’s motivation as they seek a seventh European title.
“We are similar clubs because they have a great history and a lot of success,” Ancelotti said. “We have to respect the opponent because they did very well and were better than us in the first game.
“We are very excited because it can be another magical night for us, but there is no optimism. We are aware of the difficulties we will face.”
Defender Dani Carvajal, who has already lifted the UEFA Champions League trophy five times with Los Blancos, believes the team are brimming with confidence after going unbeaten in their last 42 games (excluding extra time).
He joked that Ancelotti “gets more and more scared” each season, but praised his coach’s role in keeping the players focused on the task at hand.
“There is euphoria because we are having a great year,” Carvajal said.
“We are all very excited about the European Cup. We know it in the dressing room. In the street, the fans are congratulating us and encouraging us a lot to dream of winning it again.”
“We are two games away from winning the UEFA Champions League. Ancelotti had his eyes open and we all added. That is what counts to reach our goals.”
