Manager Carlo Ancelotti urged Real Madrid to play with more pace and intensity if they want to keep alive their hopes of securing the La Liga-European Cup double by beating Bayern Munich in the return leg of their Champions League semi-final on Wednesday.

Real wrapped up the La Liga title over the weekend with four matches to spare but that has not stopped Ancelotti from being extremely critical of his team’s performance in their 2-2 draw in the first-leg of the Champions League semi in Germany.

He has warned his players that they cannot afford another sub par performance if they want to contest the June 1 final at Wembley Stadium.

“We need a match with intensity, with pace... Looking at the first leg, defensively we could have done a lot more,” Ancelotti told a press conference on Tuesday, insisting that his side cannot afford to underestimate the challenge posed by Bayern despite the German side’s disappointing domestic campaign.

Bayer Leverkusen ended Bayern’s 11-year Bundesliga reign by securing the league crown last month but Ancelotti said the six-time European Cup winners will have extra motivation to win the only trophy they can still fight for this season.

“(Bayern and Real) are similar clubs because they have a great history and a lot of success. We have to respect our opponents because they did very well and better than us in the first leg,” Ancelotti said.
“We are very excited because it could be another magical night for us, but there is no optimism. We are aware of the difficulties that we are going to face.”

Defender Dani Carvajal, one of most experienced players in Real’s changing room and winner of five Champions League titles with the Spanish giants, admitted that they feel the fans remain confident about their chances of reaching the final due to their unbeaten run in the competition this season.

He joked that Ancelotti was “getting more and more fearful” over the years, but praised his coach’s role in keeping the changing room focused on winning a record-extending 15th title in Europe’s premier club competition.

“There is euphoria because we are having a great year,” Carvajal told a press conference just days after Real claimed a record-extending 36th La Liga title.

“We are all very excited about the European Cup. We know it in the dressing room. In the street the fans congratulate us and give us a lot of encouragement to dream of winning it again.

“We are two games away from winning the Champions League. Ancelotti has kept our eyes open and we have all added up. That’s what counts to achieve the objectives.”

Ancelotti is not taking any chances at the goal, keeping Andriy Lunin as the goalkeeper despite Thibaut Courtois’ return from injury last
weekend.

Ancelotti said he will stick to the plan of starting Lunin at the Santiago Bernabeu even though Courtois had an assured performance in the 3-0 win over Cadiz on Saturday, which allowed Madrid to clinch the Spanish
league title.

Courtois did well in his first match since tearing the ACL in his left knee in August, two days before the start of the season. He then also ruptured the meniscus in his right knee in March when he was close to making a comeback.

“Lunin will play tomorrow (Wednesday),” Ancelotti said. “Courtois has to take his time to get back to his best. He played against Cadiz after training very well and had an excellent game, showing security and confidence, but he has to get back to his best.”

Lunin has impressed since replacing Courtois. The Ukrainian won the starting position over Kepa Arrizabalaga, the former Chelsea player who is Madrid’s other reserve goalkeeper.

But Lunin recently made a couple of mistakes in the Clasico against Barcelona, prompting criticism and reigniting the discussion about who should start.

Madrid, seeking a record-extending 15th European title, are trying to reach their 18th European Cup final, and a ninth in the Champions League era.

Bayern, a six-time European Cup champion, are making their first semi-final appearance since winning the Champions League in 2019-20.

Madrid have won all but one of their 24 previous European knockout matches in which they drew the first leg away from home — the exception coming in a 1990-91 European Cup quarter final against Spartak Moscow.

Bayern, meanwhile, come to the Spanish capital without a victory in seven away games against Madrid — with six losses and a draw — since a 1-0 win in the 2000-01 Champions League semi-finals.