We Need To Stop Manchester City, Not Haaland – Carlo Ancelotti

Carlo Ancelotti believes Real Madrid must stop Manchester City’s entire team, not just attacker Erling Haaland, in the Champions League semi-finals on Tuesday.

In the opening leg, the defending 14-time record winners face Pep Guardiola’s eager visitors, led by Norwegian striker Haaland, who has 51 goals in 45 appearances across all competitions.

The 22-year-old has 12 goals in eight Champions League games, but Ancelotti says his strategy is to try to halt a City team that appears “unstoppable” as a collective.

“Obviously Haaland is a very dangerous player. He’s showing impressive qualities, above all in goalscoring. He’s a threat obviously,” Carlo Ancelotti told a news conference Monday.

“Just talking about Haaland means not talking about a complete team that plays good football, defends well, attacks, that has ideas.

“We’re not setting up for a game to stop Haaland, but to stop a team that seems unstoppable, but I think we can have chances to have an equal game, one that we can win.”

City’s attempts to win the Champions League have repeatedly been unsuccessful, but Haaland’s lethal edge gives them a good chance of defeating Madrid and making it to the final game.

Ancelotti stated that he believed Haaland gave Manchester City greater opportunities to pose a threat.

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“It’s a more complete team than last year. They had a very good forward in Gabriel Jesus, but he has different characteristics to Haaland,” continued the Italian coach.

“Today, they can take advantage more of long balls, because they have a very tall striker, and behind him is (Kevin) De Bruyne, so they can win balls in the air.

“They have not changed their style, they are very well organised at the back and a team that handles the ball very well.”

Former Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney reportedly predicted that City would “blow away” Real Madrid in the match, a prediction that Los Blancos midfielder Toni Kroos dismissed.

Madrid defeated Manchester City in the semi-finals last season despite losing the first leg, and the German was eager to recall it.

“It was the same a year ago, no? That Madrid were out, and we did it,” Kroos told reporters.

“I remember words from last year, not Rooney’s — who is a guy I like a lot, apart from what he said — but it doesn’t affect us.

“It doesn’t motivate us more either, because it’s impossible to be more motivated than we are.”