Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti hopes that the Champions League holders will not be pulled to play Manchester City in the knockout-round play-offs.
Los Blancos is confronted with City of Celtic for a place in the last 16, after 11th in the 36-team table after Wednesday's 3-0 win at Brest.
Rodrygo delivered twice on both sides of Jude Bellingham on the score sheet, but the results elsewhere did not come to Madrid's advantage because they missed a top-touch finish.
Madrid has lost three of their first five Champions League matches this season and has now won their last three in a row.
The 15-way European champions have now reached the knockout rounds on all 29 of their performances in the competition.
Ancelotti has led Madrid to three Champions League triumphs, with two of those in his second spell in the Santiago Bernabeu.
On both occasions-in 2021-22 and 2023-24 eliminated people on their way to lifting the trophy, but the Italian prefers to avoid a different meeting with the Pep Guardiola team.
“We don't like to play against City, but if we have to, we will do it on other occasions,” Ancelotti told reporters after Madrid's victory in France.
“City has more chances to win the Champions League [than Celtic]. “
Here are the 24 teams that will continue their UEFA Champions League trip in 2024-25. pic.twitter.com/dpdhllg7ml
– Opta Analyst (@Optaanalyst “> @Optaanalyst) January 29, 2025
He also told Movistar in an interview after the game: “It is a draw and what is coming. To win the Champions League you have to win every game.”
The draw will be held in Nyon on Friday.
“If we want to win this competition, we have to beat the best teams,” said keeper Thibaut Courtois, Madrid, when he was asked about the prospect of combating the victors of 2023.
Ancelotti added that a slow start of the Madrid competition phase had cost the chance to skip the play-offs and say: “We should have woken up earlier in this competition. Now it is.
Rodrygo repeated those feelings when he said: “Top Eight was our goal, but we didn't do it well in some games. Now we have to keep improving.”
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