Ancelotti Expects Unpredictable Clasico Final Against Barcelona

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti expects an unpredictable Spanish Super Cup final against Barcelona on Sunday.

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti is anticipating an unpredictable Spanish Super Cup final against Barcelona on Sunday. Following his team's convincing 3-0 semi-final win over Mallorca, Ancelotti noted the unpredictable nature of the Clasico rivalry. “The Clasico has been unpredictable lately,” Ancelotti told reporters on Thursday.

Ancelotti reflected on the varying outcomes of recent matches between the two teams. “There were games we won easily, like the 4-1 last year in the Super Cup. We also won 4-0 twice in Barcelona while they beat us 4-0 at the Bernabeu,” he said. This unpredictability makes it challenging to anticipate the outcome of the upcoming final.

Despite the uncertainty, Ancelotti is confident that the match will be entertaining due to the high quality of players on both teams. “It's hard to think what kind of game the next one will be. It will be entertaining because there is quality on the pitch. And obviously we want to end up being better than Barcelona,” Ancelotti stated.

Real Madrid faced a challenging task in breaking down Mallorca's defense, but eventually, England midfielder Jude Bellingham scored the opening goal after the hour mark. The goal was the culmination of an excellent team move involving Rodrygo and Kylian Mbappe. This breakthrough proved crucial in securing a 3-0 win for Real Madrid.

According to Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti, the team had a strong start but struggled to capitalize on their early opportunities. “We started very well, but we could have opened the scoring a little earlier, in the first half,” Ancelotti said. As the game progressed, Real Madrid encountered increased difficulty in breaking down Mallorca's defense.

Mallorca's defensive strategy proved effective in limiting Real Madrid's scoring chances. Ancelotti acknowledged the challenges posed by Mallorca's approach. “After the good start it became more difficult for us. It was a demanding game because Mallorca played the game they had to play,” he explained. “They were defending very well, closing spaces, trying to look for opportunities with crosses. A couple of times they created problems for us.”

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Real Madrid's Aurelien Tchouameni was forced to leave the game early in the second half after a clash of heads with a Mallorca defender. He was replaced by Raul Asencio. Additionally, Jude Bellingham appeared uncomfortable after going down in the final minutes, but he managed to complete the game. Meanwhile, Federico Valverde was substituted by Dani Ceballos with 15 minutes remaining.

According to Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti, Tchouameni's withdrawal was a precautionary measure due to the head injury. “The doctor preferred to take him (Tchouameni) off the pitch because it was a blow to the head,” Ancelotti explained. Ancelotti also noted that the heat had an impact on the game, particularly affecting Bellingham and Valverde. “Bellingham and (Federico) Valverde were overloads. We were not expecting the heat and it affected the rhythm of the game,” he said.