Carlo Ancelotti comments on pressure from Barcelona as Real Madrid face late title challenge from rivals
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has admitted that there's "always" pressure from Barcelona in the La Liga title race, but insisted that his team must keep fighting till the end.
Los Blancos are currently ahead in the race after 27 games with 66 points in the bag, five ahead of their El Clasico rivals, with a game in hand. Following a series of big wins, Madrid appeared to have lost momentum in recent weeks.
Of their last five games, three have ended in stalemates, allowing Barcelona to trim the gap a little. Nonetheless, with a win over Celta Vigo on Sunday, Madrid can open up an eight-point gap going into the final 10 fixtures of the season.
At a recent press conference ahead of their league match, Ancelotti was questioned on the pressure from the Blaugrana. The Italian responded by saying that there's always pressure, but vowed to keep the struggle for the title going.
He said:
"Pressure from Barcelona? There is always pressure but you have to fight until the end. Until there is a mathematical chance of your opponents winning, you have to keep fighting."
Real Madrid have a tougher home stretch than Barcelona, with games against Athletic Bilbao, Real Sociedad, Villarreal and Real Betis to come. Also, the second Clasico of the season is scheduled to be held on April 21 at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Real Madrid must find their best sooner rather than later
Following weeks of big wins, Real Madrid have stumbled in recent times. While a draw to in-form Atletico Madrid isn't bad, they also dropped points against struggling teams like Rayo Vallecano and Valencia.
All's not lost yet, although there's a tough run-in ahead of them, with the Clasico also coming up next month during a crucial juncture in the campaign. During this period, Los Blancos will also have Champions League quarter-final games to contend with, and perhaps even the semi-finals.
Such a tight fixture list can have a take a toll on their fitness too as Real Madrid face a real challenge to win their 36th La Liga title.