Ancelotti hoping Madrid face ‘extraordinary’ Botafogo in Intercontinental Cup final

Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti hopes to meet Copa Libertadores winners Botafogo in the Intercontinental Cup final in December.

Botafogo defeated Atletico Mineiro 3-1 to win their first title in the famous competition, despite Gregore being sent off inside 30 seconds for a high tackle on Fausto Vera.

Luiz Henrique and Alex Telles put Botafogo two goals ahead before Eduardo Vargas reduced the deficit before Junior Santos sealed the win in second-half stoppage time.

The Intercontinental Cup, which takes place in Qatar at the end of this month, will see the champions from all six confederations go head-to-head for a chance to play Madrid in the final.

Botafogo will play CONCACAF champions Pachuca, with the winner of that encounter taking on African-Asian-Pacific Cup winners Al Ahly.

Los Blancos are already in the showpiece tournament on December 18 after beating Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League final to claim their 15th title.

“I watched the match (Libertadores final) live and really enjoyed it,” Ancelotti told a news conference.

“It was a fantastic atmosphere. I was mesmerized. An incredible first minute of the match, with that incredible flying kick (which earned Gregore a red card).

“Then the attitude and commitment of the team (Botafogo) were extraordinary. They played a fantastic match with only ten men.”

CAMPEÕES DA AMERICA!

BOTAFOGO FAZ HISTÓRIA E CONQUISTA A CONMEBOL LIBERTADORES 2024! É O NOSSO TEMPO, FAMÍLIA! #TempoDeBotafogo pic.twitter.com/kysAsd5d74

— Botafogo FR (@Botafogo) November 30, 2024

Ancelotti was also happy for Botafogo midfielder Allan, who he managed during his time as manager of Napoli and Everton.

The Italian is hoping for a reunion with his former player, saying: “I am happy for Allan who won the Libertadores with Botafogo, a historic team in Brazilian football.

“That they could finally win the Libertadores for the first time. Yes, I was thrilled!

“I know they still have a few more games to fight for and reach the final of the Intercontinental Cup, but yes, it would be great if they are against us.”

But first on the agenda for Ancelotti and Madrid is a trip to the San Mames Barria to face Athletic Bilbao in LaLiga.

Madrid bounced back from defeat to Liverpool in the Champions League in midweek by beating Getafe 2-0 on Sunday, with Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham on target.

That result moved Los Blancos to within one point of rivals Barcelona at the top of the table, with the luxury of having a game in hand over their Clasico rivals.

However, Ancelotti has seen his side suffer several injuries this season, with the likes of Eduardo Camavinga, Vinicius Junior and Eder Militao all missing on Sunday.

But Ancelotti was able to provide a positive injury update on midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni, who has missed the last four games in all competitions with an ankle injury.

“It is very important to have Aurelien back, because of his role. He is so versatile defensively and can play as a central defender or as a defensive midfielder,” said the Italian.

“In addition, his height is crucial for us when defending set pieces, an important aspect of the match in which we have suffered since Eder Militao went down.”

@atchouameni#RMCity pic.twitter.com/xxIKBr6hRi

— Real Madrid CF (@realmadriden) December 2, 2024