Real Madrid 'Lacked Courage' Against Manchester City, Says Carlo Ancelotti Before Champions League Showdown
MADRID: One of the Champions League’s newest rivalries resumes this week when Real Madrid hopes to take advantage of extended rest in Tuesday’s quarterfinal against Manchester City.
Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti, entering his record-extending 200th Champions League match, has had eight full days to prepare his squad for facing Pep Guardiola’s Man City for the third straight year in the knockout rounds.
City, meanwhile, played on Saturday at Crystal Palace in the English Premier League and Guardiola wasn’t happy about the considerable difference in the teams’ preparation time. Madrid’s last Spanish league match was on March 31, a 2-0 win at Athletic Bilbao. Madrid didn’t play this past weekend as it was reserved in the Spanish calendar for the Copa del Rey final.