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Ahead of the most awaited match between Real Madrid and Barcelona in La Liga on Monday, Los Blancos head coach Carlos Ancelotti said that it will be a "hard-fought" match between the two Spanish giants.
While speaking at the pre-match press conference, Ancelotti said that Barcelona are a "highly competitive opposition" who have displayed a brilliant performance in recent days. "If we manage to win it, we'll be within touching distance of La Liga. We're playing against highly competitive opponents who have played brilliantly in recent games. It will be a hard-fought and evenly-matched Clasico, as they always are. It's a great opportunity to move closer to the La Liga title but we know how difficult it will be because Barcelona are still very much in it," Ancelotti was quoted by Real Madrid's website as saying. The Italian head coach added that the Real Madrid players have recovered well after their previous match against Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League (UCL). "We've recovered well but there are players who will need the extra day, like Mendy. They'll all be in the squad, we haven't had any real problems and we'll try and put the best possible team out tomorrow. Mendy was still a bit tired today so we decided to give him that extra rest," he added. Talking about Fede Valverde's performance, Ancelotti said that the Uruguayan midfielder has been "consistent" and displayed a "remarkable" performance in the ongoing season. Valverde was named the 'Player of the Match' against City in Real's previous match against City. "It's tough to say where he could improve. He's consistent and he's always been remarkable. He helps the team so much and that's always a big factor on putting him on the pitch. If I play him as a winger, he delivers, if I put him in the centre of the park, he delivers, if I play him higher up he finds goals and assists. That's why he's irreplaceable for me," he further added. Real Madrid are coming into this match after beating City on penalties in the UCL quarterfinal match. With the win against City, the Los Blancos have confirmed their spot in the semifinals of the tournament, where they will take on Bayern Munich. In La Liga, Carlo Ancelotti's side are standing at the top of the table with 78 points after winning 24 of 31 matches. If Real manage to seal three points against the Blaugranas, they will be one step closer to winning La Liga for the 36th time. Meanwhile, Barcelona hold second place on the table with 70 points after clinching 21 victories of 31 games. (ANI)
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