Ancelotti
Real Madrid will battle to catch up to Barcelona in the LaLiga title race, insists Carlo Ancelotti.
Los Blancos have a game in hand against Elche at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday and are currently in second place, 11 points behind their Clasico rivals.
Fresh from winning the Club World Cup after beating Al Hilal 5-3 in Morocco at the weekend, Ancelotti stated his belief that winning trophies makes you hungrier for more.
“I don’t think it’s a problem for Real Madrid,” he told reporters. “The idea I have is that winning helps you win. When you win you feel things you want to repeat.
“Repeating is motivation for us. We have a disadvantage in LaLiga, but we’re going to fight.”
Madrid has only won four of their last nine La Liga games (D2, L3), and they most recently lost 1-0 to Real Mallorca.
“I don’t need to give arguments,” Ancelotti added. “Our fans know the professionalism of this team, of these players. They know that we are going to fight every game. I don’t think anyone thinks that we are in a ‘critical’ situation.”
Thibaut Courtois missed the match against Mallorca because of an injury, and while he won’t play against Elche either, Ancelotti believes he might be able to get the 2022 Yashin Trophy winner back for Saturday’s match against Osasuna.
Eder Militao and Lucas Vazquez are expected to return on Wednesday, but Toni Kroos will also be absent due to illness.
“Courtois will not be there tomorrow, I hope he will be there for Saturday against Osasuna,” he said. “Militao returns, Lucas returns… We have Kroos out, who has a problem.”