Real Madrid’s coach, Carlo Ancelotti, has dismissed the idea of surrendering in the La Liga title chase, reminding Barcelona, the current frontrunners, that “anything can happen in football”.
Barcelona were on the brink of clinching the championship on Wednesday evening until Real Madrid’s 20-year-old defender, Jacobo Ramon, scored a decisive goal against Mallorca in the 95th minute, extending the title competition by at least another day.
A triumph over Espanyol on Thursday night would secure the championship for Barcelona, who are currently four points ahead of Madrid, with only two matches left in the season for Real Madrid.
While it may appear to be a foregone conclusion that Barcelona will get their hands on the title, Ancelotti warned his Clasico rivals not to get complacent at this stage in the season.
“The team hasn’t given up despite the difficulties we have faced,” he began. “We’ve been able to make up for these [injury] losses, which are of many very important players, with a good attitude both collectively and individually… I’ve never seen a team that has shot 40 times on goal like we have.
“We only believe in winning our game in the next home game and then seeing what happens. Obviously, [Barcelona] will have to play and in football anything can happen.
“We’ve done well offensively. In these types of games you struggle more to score, and this season we’ve conceded a lot of goals for many reasons, and the thing is that we’ve always been short four or five defenders.”
Reflecting on the season as a whole, Ancelotti doubled down on his assessment that injuries had hampered Madrid’s bid to lift the title.
“A lot of absences, and we were still able to, with an extraordinary effort… it would have changed the season from the start,” he concluded.
This is Ancelotti’s final La Liga title race as the Italian tactician will step down at the end of the season in order to become the new Brazil boss. Xabi Alonso is expected to take his place in the Bernabeu dugout.
