Carlo Ancelotti sends Real Madrid ‘advantage’ warning ahead of Man City Champions League clash

Carlo Ancelotti has sent a warning to Manchester City ahead of Tuesday night’s Champions League semi-final first leg.

A mouth-watering tie awaits, with the English and Spanish champions going head-to-head in a tie worthy of being a Champions League final. City are in sizzling form, and with the Premier League title almost in the bag for another year, they are now eyeing their first Champions League crown, and indeed a possible treble having also booked their spot in the FA Cup final.

But Real Madrid stand in their way, and Los Blancos are to be feared, especially when it comes to the Champions League.

Ancelotti’s men are the current holders of this competition, and they have won four of the last seven editions. The magic of the Santiago Bernabeu has played a big role in those titles, and Ancelotti is well aware of that.

Speaking about the City clash after Real Madrid’s Copa del Rey final win on Saturday, Ancelotti said: “We have achieved all of the possible titles in two seasons and we prepare for the next Champions League challenge in a happy environment.

“We are going to compete well because we are very close to another final, and we are going to do everything possible to get there. In the first leg against City, we are going to have an advantage because we play with 12 against 11.”

City are going to have to be at their best to get a result in the Spanish capital, but they do have the fortune of being able to play the second leg at home, at the Etihad Stadium. That could be an important aspect of this tie, providing Real Madrid are not allowed to assert their dominance in the first leg.