Ancelotti: Ronaldo is buzzing

Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti has revealed that Cristiano Ronaldo is ‘buzzing’ for the Clasico against Barcelona on Sunday.

The Portuguese has scored just two goals in his last six La Liga appearances but rescued Los Blancos from Champions League embarrassment with a brace in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie against Schalke.

Consequently, the Coach is expecting another big performance from his No 7 at Camp Nou.

“[Lionel Messi’s] been playing well, as have the rest of his Barcelona teammates,” he said at his pre-match Press conference on Saturday.

“Having [Luka] Modric and [Sergio] Ramos in this game will help us a lot. The whole team have improved their condition, but tomorrow will be won by our heads, not our physiques.

“[Cristiano Ronaldo’s] had a good week and trained well. He’s buzzing about the match tomorrow.

“His attitude and concentration saved us against Schalke. He might not have been playing at the top [of his game], but he’s always given a good account of himself. I’m not going to ask more [from him] than the rest of the team.

“[On Gareth Bale], I don’t think there’s a player with more responsibility than another.

“What I ask [of him] is what I ask from the others. A team is made up of 11 players. [Bale] has never played in midfield [for us], so his position on the pitch will be the same as always. It’s not going to change.

“[Fabio Coentrao] isn’t in the best shape, but he can join up with his national team. Marcelo has given me more confidence [fitness-wise], but Coentrao is fine.

“Neymar now plays more of a free role [than when he last faced us], but I think [Barca] have the same quality and characteristics.”

Tags Carlo Ancelotti Clasico Cristiano Ronaldo Fabio Coentrao Gareth Bale Lionel Messi Luka Modric Marcelo Sergio Ramos
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