Atletico Madrid match is balanced 50-50: Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti

Carlo Ancelotti

Madrid, April 13 (IANS)

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti believes that the results previous meetings between his side and city neighbours Atletico Madrid have no relevance over the outcome of the Champions League quarter-final between the two sides on Tuesday night.

Real and Atletico will slug it out for the seventh time this season when they meet in Atletico's home ground the Vicente Calderon Stadium with the return leg in the Bernabeu Stadium a week later, reports Xinhua.

So far Atletico have not lost to Real in their six meetings this season, but Real Madrid's Italian coach, who led his side to Champions League glory against Atletico a year ago, is not thinking about the past, but focussing on what lies ahead.

“It is a very even tie,” said Ancelotti, who gave his side "50 per cent of the possibility of progressing into the last four."

“Every game has got its problem and every game has its style. All of our defeats to Atletico have been different and we have looked at them. This tie is over two games and it is going to be difficult,” he said.

“We are not obsessed with Atletico”

Ancelotti confirmed winger Gareth Bale has recovered from a slight foot injury, but rejected the idea of playing with an extra midfield player to combat Atletico's power in the middle of the park.

“It's not a question of the system, or whether we play 4-4-2 or 4-3-3- The main thing is that we play compact football, work together and show our personality,” he explained.

He rejected that after a season of disappointments against their rivals, Real Madrid's players were obsessed with beating Atletico.

“We are not obsessed with Atletico. We are obsessed with getting through the quarter-finals and so our objective is not to win against Atletico, it is to win the Champions League,” he concluded.