Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti is expecting Chelsea to ‘come to win’ ahead of the Champions League quarter-final second leg between the teams on Tuesday.
Real Madrid hold a 3-1 advantage over the Premier League side following a win at Stamford Bridge last week, with Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel dismissive of his side’s chances of overturning the tie in the immediate aftermath of the defeat.
Ancelotti has rejected Tuchel’s claims that the holders face an an “almost impossible” task to reach the last four and believes Chelsea will arrive in Spain with ambitions of rescuing the tie.
“Chelsea will come here to rescue the tie, I have no doubt about it,” said Ancelotti at his pre-match press conference.
“He [Tuchel] can say whatever he wants but I’m sure Chelsea will come here to win, that’s the spirit of football, the spirit of big clubs and great players, to never give up.”
Ancelotti insisted his squad are well aware that ‘anything can happen’ in the return leg despite their advantage and says Real Madrid are taking nothing for granted ahead of Chelsea’s visit to the Bernabeu.
Real overturned a two-goal deficit inside just 17 minutes against Paris Saint-Germain in the previous round and Ancelotti says his team are focused ahead of a clash with a ‘very strong rival’.
“I’m lucky to have a group of players that know these types of games really well, that anything can happen,” Ancelotti added.
“They are in a good spirit and happy with the opportunity to reach a Champions League semi-final.
“But Chelsea are a very strong rival. We have to have a lot of respect and we’re going to have it.”
