Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti is ready for another “euphoric” night as Los Blancos are all set to host Bayern Munich in the second leg of their UEFA Champions League (UCL) 2023/24 semi-final at Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday.
Bayern and Madrid locked horns in the first leg at Allianz Arena on April 30 and the match ended 2-2 with Vinicius Junior scoring twice for the Whites while Leroy Sane and Harry Kane netted for the home side.
Madrid and Bayern, two of Europe’s biggest teams, share a total of 20 Champions League titles between them. The winner of the encounter will play one of Borussia Dortmund or Paris Saint-Germain in the final at England’s iconic Wembley Stadium.
Ancelotti held a press conference on Tuesday where he confirmed that Andiry Lunin will start as a goalkeeper. There were doubts after Thibaut Courtois started in their league match against Cadiz on the weekend but the Italian has confirmed that the Ukrainian will be standing between the goalposts.
“Lunin will play tomorrow,” Ancelotti said on Tuesday. “Courtois has to take his time to get back to his best. He played against Cadiz after training very well and had an excellent game, showing security and confidence, but he has to get back to his best.
"We are expecting another euphoric night at the Bernabeu tomorrow. “I’m confident because we’re talking about Real Madrid, and because we have this squad, which has done very well this season. I’m confident because the fans will be behind us. We are in good position.”
Ancelotti then added that Bayern are one of the best teams in the world as they, just like Madrid, play well in transition.
“Real Madrid and Bayern are similar clubs, both have a great tradition and history in the European Cup,” Ancelotti said. “We also respect them because they did very well and better than us in the first leg. Both teams play very well in transitions because we have quality and fast players. They are the two most dangerous teams in Europe in this sense, but if you have the right balance, you can manage the risk well.”