Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti said Friday that, while he holds deep respect for La Liga leaders Barcelona, he is far from intimidated by them ahead of Saturday's showdown.
Barcelona currently sits three points clear at the top, but Ancelotti, recognizing their strong form, emphasized that Real Madrid are the reigning champions and won’t be easily shaken.
“Fortunately, at the moment nobody keeps me awake at night,” Ancelotti told reporters Friday.
“(Barcelona) are doing very well. But in a match like El Clasico, it’s very difficult to pick a favorite beforehand. It depends on the dynamics of the match. It’s a matter of how you are able to handle the pressure, to deal with the tempo and how to identify the moments of the match.
“Barcelona has a very clear idea of how they play the game; they are performing very well. They are a very brave team, and we need to prepare well for the game and try to play our best version.”
Barcelona travels to Madrid after a 4-1 Champions League win over Bayern Munich on Wednesday, maintaining Hansi Flick’s impressive start with 11 wins from 13 matches in all competitions.
Real Madrid, however, has faced moderate criticism from pundits about slow starts, raising questions about their motivation after winning both the La Liga and Champions League titles last season.
The latest example was their Champions League clash against Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday when they had to fight back from two goals down after a dismal first half and scored five goals after the break.
Ancelotti said he is not worried about his players’ mindset and believes they will be ready from the start due to the intensity of the rivalry.
“Usually, in this style of match, you don’t have to talk as much beforehand. The idea is to define a very clear, very simple strategy – and nothing else,” Ancelotti said.
“It’s not the type of match where you have to give big speeches. Playing like we did in the second half against Dortmund for 90 minutes is impossible, but that should be our starting point, what we will try to achieve. I think we did a lot of things right.
“We will prepare to do the right things with and without the ball. We have to play a complete game to win, and we will try to do that.”
