Carlo Ancelotti appeared in the press room with his usual aplomb before big games. It wasn't the Italian coach's most entertaining press conference, but he left a few gems as ever.
Analysing the match with coolness, Ancelotti gave what in his opinion may be the keys to defeating Pep Guardiola's Manchester City.
The standout comment was the one about Antonio Rudiger. The day before, it appeared as though he confirmed he was starting Wednesday's clash, but today he corrected himself: "It was a mistake! I didn't mean Rudiger as a starter... it was a misunderstanding." Was it a real mistake or a tactical trick on Pep?
Ancelotti's plan
"[It will be] the usual one, to try to get the best out of the team on an individual and collective level. I think we can do better than in the first leg. By reviewing the game we can improve and we're going to try."
Ancelotti's legacy
"This is my fourth year at this club. I enjoy it every day. My legacy is to enjoy every day. This year we are very close to achieving something important. We are very excited and very motivated, bearing in mind that it is very difficult. But the difficulties help us to be better."
Rudiger comments
"I apologise, because it was a mistake. I thought you were asking me about Rodrygo, who was not on the bench. This increases the difficulty of the line-up. I have a very clear idea. If we win [it means] I got the line-up right and if we lose, [it means] I failed with the line-up."
The system
"Last year, Valverde as a winger allowed us to win the Champions League. And this year, Rodrygo has allowed us to get here without losing. I've already made my decision."
What game does he foresee?
"I'm very calm, excited and with faith. Tomorrow I know the feeling and I will have bad feelings: that Haaland will score, that De Bruyne will score from outside the box.... I will have to think about Vini's dribbles, that Karim is going to score... It's not easy to get this far and we're going to enjoy it."
Madrid's recipe for success
"It's not easy to explain, but I think the Champions League is special because of the history of the first five European Cups. For everyone, for the players and for the staff, the European Cup is very important. The important thing is that the club has kept alive the history of Di Stefano, Gento and Amancio."
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