♦ Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti responded to Bernardo Silva’s ‘weird’ claim
♦ Ancelotti’s side are set to face Bayern Munich in Champions League semis
Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti has fired back at Manchester City star Bernardo Silva after he claimed the LaLiga side were a ‘weird team’ having dumped them out of the Champions League this month.
Reigning champions City were beaten 4-3 on penalties by Madrid after a 1-1 draw at the Etihad, despite the home side dominating much of the second leg.
City had beaten Madrid in the semi-finals of last year’s competition but lost to them in 2022 edition, and it led Silva to claim Madrid were a ‘weird’ side to play against because of their ability to create chances even if they are seemingly not having a good spell in the game.
‘Real Madrid are a weird team,’ he said, speaking to TNT Sports. ‘Sometimes it seems like you have control of the game and out of nowhere, they run twice [on the counter] and score two goals because their players individually are very good.
‘They are so fast and strong on the counter-attack that it is not easy to control them.
Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti fired back at Bernardo Silva after claiming his side were ‘weird’
Silva was left deflated after Madrid knocked City out of the Champions League quarter-finals despite dominating the game
‘If you attack with too many players, they run on the counter. If you don’t attack with many players, it feels like you’re not effective enough to attack them properly. So it is difficult to make these small decisions in the game.’
But Ancelotti – whose side will play against Harry Kane’s Bayern Munich in the semi-finals on Tuesday night – refuted Silva’s claims and stressed his team have simply shown they understand the ‘history’ of the competition.
‘We are not strange,’ he said ahead of the Bayern clash. ‘We are a team that can show the history of the past in this competition.
‘There is nothing I have to say to Bernardo Silva. He is a great, gigantic player and last year they made it to the final and now it is up to us.’
Madrid are preparing to face Bayern Munich in the Champions League semi-finals on Tuesday
Silva played the full 90 minutes against Madrid in the first leg at the Bernabeu, which finished 3-3, before playing another 90 in the second leg.
The Portuguese international has been one of City’s best players under Pep Guardiola this season with 11 goals and five assists as they bid to win a fourth straight Premier League title, as well as the FA Cup.
Madrid are 11 points clear of nearest rivals Barcelona in the LaLiga and Ancelotti’s side can win the title this weekend if they beat Cadiz and Barca drop points against Valencia or Girona.
They face a Bayern side that is wounded after losing out on the Bundesliga title to Bayer Leverkusen, with their star man Harry Kane bidding to win the first trophy of his career.