Carlo Ancelotti Plays Down Real Madrid's Champions League Hopes

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti believes Manchester City have a better chance of winning the Champions League, while also acknowledging that his team must improve to overcome the best teams in the competition.

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti expressed his hope that the team will avoid Manchester City in the next round of the Champions League. After securing a 3-0 win over Brest on Wednesday to reach the playoff stage, Ancelotti acknowledged that facing Manchester City would be a challenging task. “We don't like to play against City, but if we have to, we'll do it like on other occasions,” Ancelotti said, when asked about his preference for the next opponent.

🗣️ @MrAncelotti: "It was a good game, we played well and we were a solid and serious team".

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As the holders of the Champions League title, Real Madrid will be seeded in the playoff draw and will face either Celtic or Manchester City in a two-legged tie. The second leg will be played at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, giving Real Madrid a potential advantage. Ancelotti's cautious approach to facing Manchester City is understandable, given the English team's strong form and reputation in the competition.

🔒🧤 @ThibautCourtois 🔒🧤 pic.twitter.com/ELAsfeiJuH

— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) January 30, 2025

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has downplayed his team's chances of winning the Champions League, suggesting that Manchester City have a better shot at the title. “City have more chances to win the Champions League,” Ancelotti said. He also emphasized that the competition is unpredictable, stating, “It's a draw and what comes, comes. To win the Champions League, you have to win every game.”

The Champions League draw will be held on Friday in Nyon, Switzerland, and Real Madrid will be seeded in the playoff stage. Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois acknowledged that the team will need to beat the best teams to win the competition. “If we want to win this competition, we have to beat the best teams,” Courtois said.

3 goals ✅
3 points ✅

Real Madrid finish in the knockout phase play-offs ⚪️#UCL pic.twitter.com/soEJdNLdTZ

— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) January 29, 2025

Ancelotti reflected on Real Madrid's performance in the league phase, which saw them miss direct qualification to the last 16 due to a poor start. “We should have woken up earlier in this competition. Now it's like this,” Ancelotti said. Rodrygo, who scored a double in the 3-0 win over Brest, also acknowledged that the team had fallen short of expectations. “Top eight was our objective, but we didn't do well in some games. Now we have to keep improving,” Rodrygo told Movistar.