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It’s been one piece of good news after another for Real Madrid and their millions of fans following the March international break.
First, club captain Karim Benzema recovered from the injury that ruled him out of the Clasico – a game Los Blancos lost 4-0. He was then the match-winner during the 2-1 win against Celta Vigo on 2 April.
The club have also received a boost following the news that Carlo Ancelotti will be present at Stamford Bridge for their Champions League quarterfinal first-leg tie against Chelsea.
The Italian manager was set to miss the game after contracting COVID, but he tested negative on Wednesday morning, making him available to be in the dugout.
A game of close margins
Real Madrid are on course to win La Liga after opening up a 12-point lead over rivals Barcelona at the top of the table.
However, what many fans really want is for the team to dominate Europe once again. Having lost to Chelsea in the semi-finals of the Champions League last season, Los Blancos cannot afford to slip up again.
The two teams are evenly matched in terms of quality and it’ll be down to the fine margins to decide who advances to the next stage of the competition.
The pressure, though, will be on Los Blancos to ensure that what happened last season does not repeat itself. Real Madrid were very poor against the Blues over two legs and will need to be better this time to get the better of the Champions League holders.
Ancelotti targets victory where Zidane failed
Ancelotti’s presence on the Real Madrid bench is a big deal but his main focus will be to do what his predecessor Zinedine Zidane failed to do.
The Frenchman left his role as Madrid manager after failing to win the Champions League when the Spanish side fell to Chelsea in the last four.
Under Ancelotti, the club have become more competitive, more consistent and more organized, which makes them a bigger threat.
All that, though, will be tested when they travel to Stamford Bridge on Wednesday evening. Depending on how Los Blancos fare, it’ll be known if Ancelotti passes this litmus test.
