Prior to their Champions League semifinal matchup against Manchester City, Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has claimed he is not planning a strategy to especially stop Erling Haaland.
The current European champions will attempt to defend their title in a rematch of last year's thrilling semifinal, which saw Man City squander a two-goal lead in second-half stoppage time at the conclusion of the second leg before losing on a Karim Benzema penalty in extra time.
Before their collapse, Pep Guardiola's team had been the favorites to make it to the final the previous year, and with the addition of Haaland to their frontline, they have undoubtedly recovered stronger this year. The Norwegian has broken the Premier League record for goals in a single season with four games remaining after scoring an astounding 51 goals in 46 appearances across all competitions.
During the pre-game press conference, Ancelotti was questioned about whether he had any plans to keep Haaland quiet, but he rejected the idea.
"Haaland is a highly risky opponent. He poses an apparent threat. However, focusing just on Haaland prevents discussion of a cohesive team that plays well, attacks, and has ideas, he retorted.
We are preparing to play a team that appears unbeatable rather than how to play Haaland. I believe we have a chance to play a balanced, competitive game and succeed.
What I can say is that they're a more complete squad, Ancelotti remarked, in reference to Man City's small shift in approach from the previous campaign.
They could play a little more bluntly. They play more long balls since Kevin De Bruyne is positioned behind big forward Kevin Haaland. They've benefited from that in several games by playing a long ball and winning the second ball. However, that does not imply that the team's approach has altered.
Carlo Ancelotti discloses Man City's strategy: "We don't have a plan for how to play Haaland,"
In his first season on these shores, Haaland has dominated England by scoring goals at an absurd and nearly unheard-of rate.
If he leads Man City to a treble, it might be difficult to ignore him for the Ballon d'Or.
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