Ancelotti Pleads Before the City Match: “Don’t Fall into the Trap…”

Several players are ‘marked’ ahead of the clash in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals. Ancelotti has already warned Carvajal, Bellingham, Vinicius, and Camavinga about their nearing accumulation of yellow cards.

The memorable encounter between Real Madrid and Manchester City (3-3) last Tuesday at the Santiago Bernabéu remains fresh in the minds of many football fans. Both teams delivered a spectacle of the beautiful game, with goals, quality, and excellence, leaving a finely balanced tie that will be decided in Manchester this Wednesday.

Looking ahead to the second leg at the Etihad, Real Madrid aims to avoid repeating last year’s mistakes in a tie that was left open after the Bernabéu match (1-1) – just like this year. However, in Manchester, Guardiola’s men sealed a convincing victory (4-0), marked by defensive lapses and fragility unusual for Ancelotti’s side.

In this regard, Dani Carvajal, Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Junior, and Eduardo Camavinga are the ‘marked’ players, and City won’t hesitate to engage them directly. If cautioned in Manchester, these players would miss the hypothetical first leg of the Champions League semifinal. Tchouameni was also at risk, but having received a yellow card at the Bernabéu, he will miss Wednesday’s match against Guardiola’s side.

Ancelotti has already alerted the squad about this possibility and wants to avoid any ‘surprises,’ emphasizing the need to play with the required concentration and security, while ‘forgetting’ about this minor detail. Moreover, yellow cards will be wiped after the quarter-finals, so if they avoid bookings, they won’t be at risk for the semifinals.

Real Madrid faces the most important match of the current season. Despite their comfortable position in the league, there’s an explicit desire within the squad for the Champions League title, especially with a thirst for revenge after last season’s disappointment.