Liverpool will host Real Madrid shortly after the international break, and Spanish reports suggest that Carlo Ancelotti is concerned about what Arne Slot’s side could do if his team doesn’t make adjustments.
The Reds currently top both the Premier League and Champions League tables, having only dropped points twice in their first 17 games under Slot.
Meanwhile, Madrid are six points adrift of La Liga leaders Barcelona and find themselves 18th in the Champions League group stage at the halfway point.
To make matters worse, they could be without seven senior players for their trip to Anfield.
Carlo Ancelotti is under growing pressure, as a defeat to Liverpool on November 27 would leave Madrid with just six points, dangerously close to the knockout stage elimination zone.
According to Spanish outlet Relevo, Ancelotti plans to use the international break to revamp his team’s fitness regimen, hoping to inject more intensity into his squad.
“Either we raise our level, or Liverpool will sweep us away,” is reportedly what Carlo Ancelotti has been saying around the training ground.
Real Madrid’s objective is to lay both the theoretical and practical foundations for the changes they hope to implement during the international break.
This will allow them to turn the corner when the full squad returns.
From the outside, it appears that Madrid’s collection of individual stars is struggling to function cohesively as a team. It’s a scenario that would previously have been described as the antithesis of a Jurgen Klopp side.
A report highlights that in their 4-0 defeat to Barcelona last month, Madrid ran 10 kilometers less than their rivals, 12 kilometers less in their loss to Lille, and 5 kilometers less in their recent Champions League defeat to Milan.
If Ancelotti is sounding the alarm, it’s easy to understand why. Liverpool’s relentless work ethic at Anfield, supported by a crowd eager to exploit any weaknesses, could be too much for Madrid if they don’t improve.
While Liverpool will hope to have Alisson Becker and Trent Alexander-Arnold fit for the clash, Madrid will be without a number of key players, including Éder Militão, Dani Carvajal, David Alaba, Lucas Vázquez, Aurélien Tchouaméni, Rodrygo, and possibly Thibaut Courtois.
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