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Real head coach Carlo Ancelotti rallied his men to chip in with their contributions towards the defensive setup as they try to weather the mounting injury list.
FILE – Real Madrid’s head coach Carlo Ancelotti stands by the touchline during the last minutes of the Champions League semifinal second leg soccer match between Manchester City and Real Madrid at Etihad stadium in Manchester, England, Wednesday, May 17, 2023. Manchester City won 4-0. (AP Photo/Jon Super, File)
La Liga leaders Real Madrid are scheduled to take on cross-town rivals Atletico Madrid in a high-stakes encounter on Sunday with just a single point between them. The Spanish champions find themselves in a bit of a fix at the centre-back position with long-term injuries to Eder Militao and Dani Carvajal being compounded by the absence of Antonio Rudiger and David Alaba.
Real head coach Carlo Ancelotti rallied his men to chip in with their contributions towards the defensive setup as they try to weather the mounting injury list.
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“The defensive problem is everyone’s problem, including the strikers. It’s a collective problem,” Ancelotti said ahead of the game.
“But we can’t just ignore the fact that we have lost key players such as Dani Carvajal and Eder Militao,” he continued.
“And, despite that, we are still fighting and in contention in all competitions,” the Italian said.
“Antonio Rudiger and David Alaba will be back soon, but let’s not forget that we are going through times of emergency, having lost very important defenders in a crucial part of the season,” the 65-year-old added.
Real Madrid are yet to pick up a win over their top-four rival this season, and will also be up against English champions Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League playoff for a berth in the Round of 16 of the revamped elite European competition.
Atletico, conversely, come into the game on the back of 19 wins in their previous 21 games and Ancelotti opined that the Madrid derby would be yet another iteration of a tightly contested game per usual.
“What we need on Saturday are three points, there is nothing more than the three points we need,” the Real Madrid gaffer said.
“We don’t think beyond that,” he clarified.
“We will face a strong opponent and it’s true that we have not been at our best in some cases this season, but what matters is that tomorrow we have to win and to win tomorrow we need to be solid, to find our balance,” the Italian concluded.
