Carlo Ancelotti thinks Real Madrid's match against Girona will be "tough"
Feb 10, 2024
Madrid [Spain], February 10 : Ahead of Real Madrid's upcoming match against Girona on Saturday at Santiago Bernabeu, Los Blancos head coach Carlo Ancelotti said that it will be a tough game.
While speaking at the pre-match press conference, Ancelotti said that the game against Girona will be "demanding". He also praised the opponents and said that they have done "better than everyone else" in the league.
"It will be a demanding match against a team that has done better than everyone else, including Real Madrid. It's going to be tough, they're doing very well. We have a lot of respect for them. We are confident of winning again after drawing," Ancelotti said as quoted by Real Madrid's official website.
The Italian coach added that the winner will get the advantage in the league. He added that both Girona and the Los Blancos are well placed on the points table.
"Whoever wins will gain the advantage, but there is still a long way to go in the league. Both teams are very well positioned and tomorrow's game won't decide the league but who will have an advantage over the others. I don't think the league will be decided tomorrow no matter what happens. Both teams have high points and the sooner we get to 80 points, the sooner we can win the league. You don't win the league with 80 points, but if you get close as soon as possible, you're very close," he added.
Talking about his players' recoveries, Ancelotti said that Rudiger has recovered and trained with the team. When asked about Vinicius Jr's injury, he added that the Brazilian attacker is "fine".
"Rudiger trained for the first time today and felt good. Tomorrow he'll have another test, if he feels good he'll play and if not we can't risk him. The player's feeling counts. Let's see how he reacts tomorrow. Vini Jr. is fine," he further added.
The Whites are standing in first place in the La Liga standings with 58 points after winning 18 of their 23 league games. In Real's previous five encounters, Ancelotti's side has lost just one match against Atletico Madrid.
