Football: Real will face Liverpool with maximum intensity, says Ancelotti

MADRID – Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti is not taking things for granted as his side prepare to host Liverpool at the Santiago Bernabeu in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie on Wednesday with

a commanding 5-2 lead.

Barring a shock collapse, the holders are set to progress to the quarter-finals.

The Spanish giants advanced 26 out of 27 times previously when they won the first leg of a Champions League tie away from home, losing only

to Erik ten Hag’s Ajax Amsterdam in 2018-19.

The odds are in their favour, but Ancelotti wants his team to start on the front foot and not sit back, especially since Liverpool were 2-0 up in the first 15 minutes at Anfield before Real hit back.

“The message to the team is simple – we have to try to play as well as possible, just like in the first leg,” said the Italian, who is likely to be without the injured David Alaba and Ferland Mendy.

“We won’t try to calculate anything. We have to be in the game, we have to try to enter the match from the first minute to win.

“We have to go into the game with maximum intensity and enthusiasm and try to win it.”

Ancelotti was also asked about his team selection, and whether he will rest players.

“Young and energetic players or experienced players? You asked a trick question and I will answer it with a trick. Tomorrow the experience and energy will be important,” he said.

Defender Antonio Rudiger, sitting alongside Ancelotti in the press conference on Tuesday, urged his teammates not to take Liverpool lightly as well.

“We cannot be complacent in the first 15 minutes,” he said.

“When you concede, you get criticised. We have to improve and we are working on it.”

Ancelotti confirmed that star striker Karim Benzema is in a “great physical moment” and ready to start, even though there are doubts whether Real can rely on him to extend their European domination this season.

The French striker’s season has been regularly disrupted by injuries, and although Vinicius Junior is a deadly threat on the left, defences can simply focus on shutting down the Brazilian winger if Benzema does not play.

The 35-year-old’s future at Real is also unknown – his contract expires in June and no decision has been made over a renewal by player or club.

He missed Real’s

La Liga win over Espanyol on Saturday

with an ankle issue but Ancelotti said he is “very excited” to play.

Benzema has been sidelined frequently, missing the World Cup and 14 of Real’s games across all competitions this season – but has scored 18 goals in the 27 games he has played.

Last season, he captained Real to Champions League glory, with the 1-0 win over Liverpool in the final securing a record 14th triumph.

That magic has been sprinkled less liberally this season, although he netted twice at Anfield, his first goals in this season’s edition.

Some believe that because of his injuries, he has been deliberately preserving himself for the team’s biggest matches and the key European dates, and that it has affected his form.

“I see a very motivated Benzema, and I think you will see a different Benzema from now on, in 2023,” said Ancelotti in late December, but so far it has not transpired.

For Real to succeed again in Europe and win a fifth Champions League trophy in 10 seasons, getting Benzema back to his best is of the utmost importance.

Liverpool, meanwhile, are going all out and still retain slim hope of turning the tie around.

“There’s only one more game before the international (break) and it’s a huge one for us. It’s one that we need to go and do something special,” said defender Trent Alexander-Arnold on uefa.com.

“We can put everything into that game knowing that we’ve got days afterwards to recover. It’s about throwing the kitchen sink at it and going all out.”

Luis Diaz, Thiago Alcantara, Calvin Ramsay and Joe Gomez remain sidelined. AFP