Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti has said his players have got their confidence back ahead of the Clasico after ending a three-game winless run by seeing off Levante.
Gareth Bale silenced his growing number of critics with a brace in the first half at the Santiago Bernabeu as Real closed the gap on leaders Barcelona ahead of next weekend’s trip to the Camp Nou.
Speaking to the media afterwards, the Italian said he was pleased with the performance and character shown by his players after receiving plenty of criticism in recent weeks.
“It was a good first half, we played well, with intensity and quality. We controlled the play and had the lion’s share of the goalscoring opportunities. The tempo dropped off a bit in the second half. We were more at ease and played the ball sideways more. We lacked penetration. We will take the good first half performance and the win away with us in order to continue improving. I think we’ll be full of confidence heading to the Camp Nou,” he told reporters.
Speaking about the fact Madrid have a free week to prepare for the Clasico while the Catalans face Manchester City in the Champions League, Ancelotti said the team would work hard and be ready for the encounter.
“We have the chance to train well for the whole week and prepare for the match both physically and tactically. It is an advantage but Barcelona are well used to playing every three days without it causing them problems,” he commented.
