Real Madrid news: Carlo Ancelotti is not happy with the schedule ahead of the La Liga clash against Elche

Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti is not happy with the schedule as he felt “the calendar doesn’t make sense” ahead of the La Liga fixture against Elche on Sunday. The Los Blancos played 120 minutes before prevailing 2-1 winners against Elche in the Copa del Rey fixture on Thursday. Although Ancelotti’s side were down 1-0 in the extra-time, late strikes from Isco and Eden Hazard helped them get through to the quarter-final stage. Going forward to the last 8 has its drawbacks, as it means a lot more matches for Real Madrid in an already congested calendar. 

Ancelotti said during an online press conference: “The calendar doesn’t make sense. It’s not an issue that only affects Real Madrid, it’s a matter for every club. We’re not going to put pressure on any other team. We’ll play with the guys who are available and that’s all there is to it, but the calendar is madness and it must be resolved sooner rather than later”.

“We know our Brazilian lads want to play for their national team. They’re going to go with Brazil and the coach will make his decisions and then they’ll be back. We won’t pressure anyone”.

Real Madrid will be aiming to make back-to-back wins against Elche when the two sides lock horns for the second time in quick succession at Bernabeu this weekend.

The team is in pretty good shape: Ancelotti

Los Blancos have now won each of their last five games in all competitions, including a 2-0 win against Athletic Bilbao in the Spanish super cup final last weekend, while the last La Liga match ended in a 4-1 home success over Valencia.

The Italian coach said “We found it tough to beat them in the Copa. They’re in good form and they will come here with a similar approach. We’ll have to be resilient and show good motivation because there are three important points to play for”.

“The team is in pretty good shape, we’ve got Asensio, Vallejo and Mariano out with muscular issues and Carvajal remains positive. Tomorrow is a good day to play Hazard from the start and I hope it’s a good game for him. Gareth is improving physically and training with the team every day”.

Ancelotti’s side have 49 points from 21 games, four points clear of second-placed Sevilla at the summit of the table. Having already won the Spanish Super cup, they will be aiming for a clean sweep in La Liga, Champions League and Copa del Rey.