Ancelotti confident of Real revival

Carlo Ancelotti has no doubt Real Madrid are capable of overturning a 2-1 first-leg deficit in their UEFA Champions League semi-final tie against Juventus, if they show more patience in the return leg.

Defending champions Real travelled to Turin for Tuesday’s clash as favourites to progress to June’s final in Berlin, but they went behind to Alvaro Morata’s close-range goal in the 12th minute.

Cristiano Ronaldo levelled the match when he nodded James Rodriguez’s excellent cross home, and the latter headed against the crossbar from three yards with the goal gaping shortly before the break.

Real were subsequently punished when Carlos Tevez’s second-half penalty put Juve back in front, but Real coach Ancelotti – a former Juve boss – says all is not lost ahead of the return encounter at the Santiago Bernabeu.

“It is true that we could have played a better game. We were not always effective, but we tried to be in control,” he told reporters. 

“Then we had a bit of bad luck because we could have made it 2-1 [through Rodriguez], but the 2-1 [defeat] leaves us happy because we have confidence that we can overcome [the score in the second leg],” he told reporters.

“We lacked patience and also some clarity between the lines. That is why we struggled a bit early in the game.”

Ancelotti also defended centre-back Sergio Ramos after he struggled to make an impact in an unfamiliar midfielder role, where he excelled in their quarter-final victory over rivals Atletico Madrid.

“It was not just Ramos, nobody played precise passes,” he added.