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Champions League derby is balanced 50-50, Ancelotti says

Xinhua, April 13, 2015 Adjust font size:

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti believes that the previous meetings between his side and city neighbors Atletico Madrid have no relevance over the outcome of the Champions League quarterfinal between the two sides on Tuesday night.

Real and Atletico will slug it out for the seventh time this season when they meet in Atletico's Vicente Calderon Stadium with the return leg in the Bernabeu a week later.

So far Atletico have bragging rights this season and have not lost to Real in their six meetings this season, but the Real Madrid's Italian coach, who led his side to Champions League glory against Atletico a year ago, is not thinking about the past, but what lies ahead.

"It is a very even tie," said Ancelotti, who gave his side "50 percent of the possibility of progressing into the last four."

"Every game has got its problem and every game has its style. All of our defeats to Atletico have been different and we have looked at them. This tie is over two games and it is going to be difficult," he said.

Ancelotti confirmed Gareth Bale has recovered from a slight foot injury, but rejected the idea of playing with an extra midfield player to combat Atletico's power in the middle of the park.

"It's not a question of the system, or whether we play 4-4-2 or 4-3-3- The main thing is that we play compact football, work together and show our personality," he explained.

He rejected that after a season of disappointments against their rivals, Real Madrid's players were obsessed with beating Atletico.

"We are not obsessed with Atletico. We are obsessed with getting through the quarterfinals and so our objective is not to win against Atletico, it is to win the Champions League," he concluded. Endi