"It is a competition that makes us very excited" - Carlo Ancelotti on Real Madrid's UEFA Champions League aspirations
Real Madrid will kick-start their Champions League campaign with a clash against Inter Milan today. Los Blancos manager Carlo Ancelotti has tipped his team to compete to the fullest and go all the way in Europe's elite tournament.
"It is difficult to say if there's a team who are favorites," the tactician said at the pre-match press conference.
"[Real] Madrid will compete as always in the competition. The idea is to compete to the fullest, because we know how important it is. We will fight for everything.
"It is a competition that makes Real Madrid very excited. We know that it is a difficult start, because Inter have a great team, with a very enthusiastic new coach."
Carlo Ancelotti also spoke about his attacker Vinicius Junior, who has been in red-hot form since the beginning of the season.
"Everyone sees that the only difference now is that he is colder in front of goal. He is very good in one-on-one [situations] and I hope he continues finishing well.
"I try to treat Vinicius like I treat others. I tell them to be focused on working. In the case of Vinicius, playing gives him confidence and physically he is doing very well."
Real Madrid will face Inter Milan in their Champions League opener at the Santiago Bernabeu this evening. Ancelotti's men will be hoping to start on the front foot with a victory against the Italians.
The likes of Ferland Mendy, Toni Kroos, Gareth Bale, Dani Ceballos and Marcelo are expected to miss the encounter due to injuries. It remains to be seen how the manager will line up his team this evening.
Real Madrid on a remarkable run
Real Madrid have started the season on a brilliant note, earning decent results at the domestic level. The Spanish giants kicked off their La Liga campaign with an impressive 4-1 victory over Alaves. They played out a 3-3 draw with Levante in their second game but returned to record 1-0 and 5-2 triumphs over Real Betis and Celta Vigo respectively.
Los Blancos currently sit at the summit of the Liga table with 10 points from four games. After their Champions League clash with Inter Milan today, they'll lock horns with Valencia in their next league game at the weekend.