Ancelotti is wary of Haaland and De Bruyne.

Coach Carlo Ancelotti is worried about the potential for Erling Haaland and Kevin de Bruyne to perform brilliantly ahead of the Champions League semi-final second leg.

"I get very worried when I think about Haaland and De Bruyne," Ancelotti said on May 16th in the pre-match press conference. "But you need to forget about those things and think positively. When evaluating and analyzing the opponent, we don't just evaluate one player, but the whole team."

Haaland (right) runs to celebrate after De Bruyne equalized for Man City in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final at the Bernabeu on May 9. Photo: AFP — Haaland (right) runs to celebrate after De Bruyne equalized for Man City in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final at the Bernabeu on May 9. Photo: *AFP*

According to the Italian coach, Real Madrid must defend collectively and cannot simply try to stop Haaland while neglecting the other dangerous attacking players of Man City such as De Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan, Rodri, Riyad Mahrez, and Bernardo Silva. Ancelotti believes today's rematch will be different from the first leg and wants his players to read the game and perform better.

At Bernabeu a week ago, Haaland was lackluster despite high expectations. Throughout the 90 minutes, the Norwegian striker only touched the ball 21 times, less than Ederson (29), missed the target twice, successfully dribbled once and lost the ball five times. Therefore, he was given 3 points by the Spanish newspaper Marca - the lowest score in the match.

"In the first leg, Real Madrid played very well from their own half, and it was very difficult for Man City to regain possession," Ancelotti further analyzed Real Madrid's tactics. "That will also be an important factor tomorrow. Having more possession means less risk in defense."

Ancelotti denied that Antonio Rudiger would start, stating that the German player was more likely to feature than Eduardo Camavinga, Eder Militao, or David Alaba. The 63-year-old coach admitted to having a headache with his attacking options, noting that pushing Federico Valverde to the right wing helped Real beat Liverpool in last season's Champions League final, while the attacking trio of Vinicius, Karim Benzema, and Rodrygo helped the royal club score many goals and reach the semi-finals this season.

In the first leg, Man City dominated in the first half, but Real took the lead thanks to a powerful shot from Vinicius. In the second half, Real played better but conceded a superb goal from De Bruyne. When asked about how small details could decide the match, Ancelotti replied: "The two teams are evenly matched at the individual level, but determination and courage make the difference in a game like this, where you have to know how to hold on and fight."

Ancelotti explained that Real Madrid didn't practice penalty kicks because the atmosphere on the pitch and the players' mentality and mindset are very different in a specific match. He wanted the team to settle today's big match at the Etihad Stadium within regular time.

Hong Duy

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