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Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti and midfielder Casemiro says they are not about to be taken in by Thomas Tuchel’s mind games ahead of Tuesday night’s second leg in the Spanish capital.
Of the Chelsea manager’s comments after the first leg that the tie was dead, Casemiro said: ‘We can’t trust the words of Tuchel. We are talking about the reigning champions.’
Ancelotti added: ‘Chelsea are coming here to fight to get through. They know it’s difficult but they will try because that is the spirit of the big teams, they never give in.
‘We have a lot of respect for Chelsea because they have so much quality and the only way to prepare for this game is to expect a Chelsea that will be better than the one we saw last week.
‘We know we will have to suffer to get through, but we are ready to suffer.’
Ancelotti has already mentioned once this season the danger of taking things for granted. After one league win earlier in the campaign it was put to him that the league title in Spain was now sown up and he said: ‘You are talking to a coach who was 3-0 up at half time in a Champions League final and then ended up on the losing side.’
He does not believe his Madrid players will make the same mistakes as his Milan team in 2005.
He said: ‘This group of players will not be complacent. They are happy to be playing this game because it’s another great chance to play a semi-final.
‘Chelsea are still a very strong team. We would like to play the same game as the first leg but we have to be aware that Chelsea will try to play a different game. If we have to play a different game too to match that then we will.
‘I said at the start of the season that we could compete in this competition. We have the personality and the experience to do it.’
Madrid’s victory over Getafe at the weekend was a rare one for them because neither goal came from their front two Karim Benzema and Vinicius. Asked if the team was over-dependent on them he said: ‘I am delighted to be dependent on Vinicius and Benzema.
And when asked about the French forward who is now just seven goals from catching Raul as the club’s all-time second top scorer behind Cristiano Ronaldo, he said: ‘Karim is a modern centre-forward. In the past the centre-forward was the player who got on the end of the crosses but now it’s about helping the team and even helping with defensive work because you cannot play with one less without the ball. He represents what the modern centre-forward is.’
Ancelotti was also asked if he would like to take over the Italy national side after their failure to make this year’s World Cup. ‘I have thought about it before,’ he said.
‘I had the chance in 2008 but I have to be honest I like the day-to-day of club management. It’s the game that gives you the buzz as well as the suffering. I don’t like a job when you compete three times a year. I love the day-to-day and when I lose that I will stop coaching.’
Vincent Paul
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