Carlo Ancelotti is confident his side can repeat last season’s feat by winning the Champions League. Real Madrid are in group F with Shakhtar Donetsk, Celtic and RB Leipzig.
The Champions League group stage begins on Tuesday, with los Blancos looking to defend their title successfully. Since it was renamed the Champions League, Real Madrid remain the only side to win the title back-to-back, and the Spanish giants are looking for a repeat this season.
It was a roller-coaster ride for the champions last season as they beat the best the competition had to offer. They cut Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool to size. Los Blancos will hope for a calmer ride to the title. The drama of last season may have been exciting to watch, but it is stress the club will be looking to avoid this season.
Real Madrid are in a relatively comfortable group and the Italian manager of the club remains optimistic that his team could repeat the act of last season. Following their fourteenth Champions League victory, Los Blancos are gunning for the fifteenth.
Carlo Ancelotti optimistic about winning the Champions League
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti is brimming with plenty of confidence. The Italian gaffer is holding nothing back as he believes his Los Merengues side can repeat the magic of last season. Once again, the Champions have written them off and not included them as top-four favourites to win the title.
Despite the disrespect shown to the defending champions, Carlo Ancelotti is not surprised. It seems to come with the terrain. For Ancelotti, it is a good sign. He told a news conference in Glasgow, Scotland, on the eve of their Champions League opening game against Celtic, the ratings did not surprise him.
Real Madrid are the headliners in Group F, but the ratings do not worry Ancelotti. According to the Italian manager, Real Madrid had less probability last season, but the most successful team in the competition confounded doubters to claim their fourteenth title.
What happened last year will happen again
Carlo Ancelotti fancies their chances once again. Last season, Real Madrid boasted a record of reaching the UCL semi-finals nine times out of 11, yet they were not regarded as one of the favourites to win the Champions League.
Going into the knockout rounds, Los Merengues were considered underdogs, but the Spanish giants proved their mettle by beating all the favourites to win a record-extending 14th European Cup title.
Ancelotti said that the club’s history is part of the competition. There is no story about the Champions League without mentioning its most successful winner – Real Madrid.
According to the Italian, you never know what is going to happen. He said they would take it step-by-step by navigating the group stage first.
Real Madrid have RB Leipzig, Shakhtar Donetsk and Celtic to face in Champions League Group F.
