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Carlo Ancelotti has said his Real Madrid players are feeling confident going into the Clasico despite their rivals being in better form.

Los Blancos have been unconvincing in recent weeks while Barcelona has been firing on all cylinders to take them top of the league. A win for the home side would move them four points clear of the Champions League holders and make them overwhelming favourites to secure the title.

But speaking at his press conference ahead of the game, Ancelotti said the Real Madrid players were looking forward to the challenge.

“Barcelona are on a better run than us, it’s a complicated and difficult match for both teams. We’re very confident going into this game because it’s an opportunity to return to the top of La Liga if we win,” he stated.

And he added: “Each team has their style of play and each team will look to impose that style on their opponents. Our aim is this: to play our game. To play the best possible match in every aspect: in defence and attack. To show personality, character and impose our style of play.”

With all eyes on Messi and Ronaldo, Ancelotti was asked about whether his star man would return to form after a quiet few games by his standards.

“He’s in good shape. He has put in a good week in training and he’s firing on all cylinders in this respect, as are all the players. He has done very well in recent games and he rescued us against Schalke. He has scored goals, given an assist and has shown good form. I’m not going to ask more from him than the rest of the players. The team has to stick together in all areas,” Ancelotti responded.

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Barcelona defender Gerard Pique has said his team needs to stop Real Madrid’s attacking trip of Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema if they are to pick up maximum points in the Clasico.

Much debate has been taking place in the press as to who has the better attacking line up between Madrid and Barcelona, with many pundits concluding the Catalan’s MSN (Messi, Suarez and Neymar) is better than the BBC (Bale, Benzema, and Cristiano).

Indeed, Real Madrid fans themselves have been critical of Bale and Ronaldo in recent weeks, jeering their performances and unhappy with some below-par performances.

But speaking to the official Barcelona website, Pique said the players must be wary of the trio and work hard to keep them quiet.

“This isn’t their best moment of the season. But the formbook goes out the window in the Clasico. Each team has a 50% chance to win it.

“They have Cristiano and Bale, two players that are very powerful, very fast and vary dangerous in the one on one and who score goals. Benzema gives them balance. He looks to receive the ball and then take on players and get into the area. It’s vital for us to stop him,” he commented.

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Real Madrid visit Barcelona this evening for the second La Liga Clasico of the season knowing three points are essential if they are to realistically maintain their title hopes.

Los Blancos enjoyed a superb 22-game winning run prior to Christmas, which included a comfortable 3-1 win over Luis Enrique’s side. But since the turn of the year, Carlo Ancelotti’s men have won only nine of the 16 matches in all, and dropped vital points against Villarreal and Athletic Bilbao recently.

Barcelona, on the other hand, go into the game in fine form and off the back of knocking English champions Manchester City out of the Champions League. A win for the hosts would take them four points clear and make them huge favourites to go on and secure the title.

In terms of team news, Luis Enrique is likely to go with Jeremy Matieu to partner Gerard Pique at the back. Marc Bartra has seen game time in recent weeks, but may still be having nightmares about facing Gareth Bale after last season’s Copa del Rey final.

For Madrid, Sergio Ramos will partner Pepe in defence, replacing Frenchman Raphael Varane, while Luka Modric should start in midfield following a long injury layoff.

Probable line ups:Barcelona: Bravo: Alves, Pique, Matieu, Alba; Rakitic, Mascherano, Iniesta; Neymar, Suarez, Messi
Real Madrid: Casillas; Carvajal, Ramos, Pepe, Marcelo; Modric, Kroos, Isco; Bale, Benzema, Ronaldo

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Former Real Madrid striker Carlos Santillana has said Cristiano Ronaldo needs to drop his cocky attitude if he is to win back the support of the club’s fans.

The Portuguese is reportedly upset at the fierce criticism aimed at him and the team in recent weeks by the Madrid support. Last weekend, he was caught by the television cameras showing a look of disgust when the supporters jeered when Real were ruled offside during one attack against Levante.

Ronaldo has decided not to talk to the media until the end of the season at the treatment by some sections of the press and Madridista support.

The 30-year-old started the campaign in impressive fashion, but a downturn in form has coincided with a slump for the team overall. Fans were also unimpressed last month when the player was seen celebrating his birthday just hours after the 4-0 humiliation by local rivals Atletico de Madrid.

Speaking to journalists on Thursday, Santillana, who spent almost two decades at the Santiago Bernabeu, stated: “Sometimes I don’t like his attitude. It is something that Real Madrid’s fans don’t like, so imagine what rival fans think of him. We don’t have to boo him, but he should correct his cocky attitude.”

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Paul Pobga won’t be a Real Madrid washcloth that is thrown out into the trash, according to the Juventus player’s agent Mino Raiola.

In a stunning attack on Real, the Frenchman’s agent criticised the club’s transfer policy and highlighted the deal that took James Rodriguez from Monaco to the Santiago Bernabeu as an example of the desire to only sign star players.

The attack comes amid reports Real want to sign 22-year-old Pogba but are unwilling to deal with Raiola.

Speaking to L’Equipe, he said: “If Real Madrid don’t want Pogba, that’s not a problem. They are a club that are used to buying players like they are washcloths then throwing them into the trash.

“They’re a club who watch a player star in like six matches at the World Cup and buy them. Pogba doesn’t want a club like that. We want Pogba to go to a club that believes in his potential. I don’t necessarily close the door to Madrid, but it’s certainly not a door that is open.”

Despite having just said the door isn’t open to a potential switch to the Spanish capital, Railo seemed to open it himself, saying Carlo Ancelotti is keen on his client and he’d be a big success.

“Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti himself claimed Pogba is among the best young players in the world. I just know that wherever he goes he will be a huge success.”

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Karim Benzema says Real Madrid are heading to the Camp Nou on Sunday expecting nothing less than three points and know they can win if they defend well.

Carlo Ancelotti’s men go into the Clasico a point behind in the title race after poor form in recent weeks saw their lead in La Liga eaten up by Barcelona. There is huge pressure on the players, who have been heavily criticised in the press and by the fans, and that will only increase should Madrid lose.

But speaking to the Bwin website, French forward Benzema said the players had worked hard all week and know what they need to do.

“We know that there’s a lot of pressure, but that’s normal because it’s a huge match. Every player who loves football wants to play in it. We’re going to prepare well for the match, all together, to go to Barcelona and win. We’re only thinking about working hard to win together, as always. If we defend well we can do it.

“We can repeat the result from the first half of the season. We’re in good shape to win and put in a performance like the one we put in. We’re Real Madrid. To score again like I did in our first meeting of the season, I need a bit of luck and nothing else.”

He went on to speak about the BBC and his partnership with his two other forwards, Bale and Cristiano.

“We’re there to work hard for the team. We work together, we defend, we attack… It depends on the match. There are good games in which we score goals, and there are others in which we don’t score, but we always work hard for the team,” he stated.

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Both as a player and as a coach, Luis Enrique has been a character that has caused excitement. As a footballer, he played El Clasico wearing Real Madrid’s shirt first and Barcelona’s later. As a manager, he has just started his career, but many Los Blancos fans are happy to know he’s not any good at high-rivalry games when sitting on the bench.

Since he started his career as a manager in the first division clubs, in 2011 at Roma, Luis Enrique has lost all the derbies he has played. That is a total of three games: two with Roma and one with Barcelona.

With the Italians, Luis Enrique lost the two Roma derbies he played against Lazio. The first of them was played on October 16th 2011. Luis Enrique’s men took the lead in the sixth minute thanks to an Osvaldo goal. However, Lazio came back in the second half with goals from Hernanes and Miroslav Klose. The German’s goal was especially painful since he scored it in the last minute of the match.

In the return leg, playing at home, Luis Enrique wasn’t able to take revenge. Hernanes scored again from the penalty spot giving Lazio the lead. Fabio Borini levelled for the hosts, but Stefano Mauri’s second-half goal gave the Biancocelesti the victory.

In his season coaching Celta de Vigo, Luis Enrique didn’t play any derby because their historic rivals Deportivo de La Coruna were playing in the second division. Again this season he wasn’t able to salvage any points at El Clasico, since he lost with Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabeu 3-1. Will he extend his poor run on Sunday?

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Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti has poured praised on Atletico de Madrid manager Diego Simeone ahead of the two teams meeting in the Champions League.

Atletico have beaten Real twice in La Liga this season, and also defeated them in the Copa del Rey and Spanish Supercopa. In the six matches played between them this season, Los Rojiblancos have won four with the remaining two ending in draws.

The last win that Real enjoyed over their cross-city rival was in last season’s Champions League final, when they came from a goal down to win 4-1 and end their 12-year wait for La Decima.

Speaking in an interview with FIFA, Ancelotti praised the work done by Simeone to turn Atletico into a team that competes every year with Real and Barcelona.

“He’s had an incredible season. He had a fairly unheralded team, and thanks to his ability, determination and character, took them all the way to the top of the Spanish league,” he said of Simeone and his team last season.

He added: “Fortunately, he didn’t win the Champions League too, but he’s able to instil his strength of character into his team and that’s what enabled them to go all the way to the final.”

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Real Madrid’s director of institutional relations Emilio Butragueno has given his views on the Champions League quarter-finals draw held this morning at Nyon (Switzerland). The Spaniard believes there are “no favourites in the tie against Atletico Madrid.

“They are very strong. It could have been better or it could have been worse. We got them, and we need to prepare well. We’re defending the title and we need to be up to the challenge. There are no favourites,” the Los Blancos legend told Spanish television Canal+ in an interview.

“They are a very competitive team and we know each other well. They focus in every detail and take advantage of them. We have to play at that same level. We have to be ready in order to come back here [to Nyon] for the semi-finals draw. We’re the reigning champions and we have to do anything possible to qualify for the next round. We are Real Madrid and we have to be up to the task,” Butragueno added.

Asked whether it would be decisive to play the second leg at the Santiago Bernabeu, the former Los Merengues striker confessed “if we pick up a good result at the Vicente Calderon, having the crowd on our side in the second leg seems like it might offer an advantage.”

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Champions League trophy

Real Madrid will have the chance to take revenge from Atletico Madrid after their recent defeats against their city rivals.

The Champions League quarter-finals draw has determined the two Madrid sides will meet again in this competition, as they already played the final last year.

Los Blancos have not won any of their last six matches against Atletico, and the last one was pretty painful, as they left the Vicente Calderon with a 4-0 defeat.

At the moment both teams are having difficulties, as they have dropped crucial points in La Liga in the last few weeks, allowing Barcelona to take the lead in the table.

The first leg will be played at Los Colchoneros stadium on April 14th, and the second leg will take place on April 22nd at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Barcelona have been drawn to face Paris Saint-Germain, a team they already faced in the group stage, losing 3-2 in France and winning 3-1 at the Camp Nou.

Bayern Munich will meet Porto and Juventus have been drawn against AS Monaco.

Champions League quarter-final draw:

  • Atletico Madrid – Real Madrid
  • Paris Saint-Germain – Barcelona
  • Porto – Bayern Munich
  • Juventus – AS Monaco

This season’s final will be held at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin (Germany) on June 6th.

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