FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Copa del Rey - Final - FC Barcelona v Real Madrid - Estadio de La Cartuja, Seville, Spain - April 26, 2025 FC Barcelona's Lamine Yamal in action with Real Madrid's Fran Garcia and Antonio Rudiger REUTERS/Marcelo Del Pozo/File Photo
MADRID (Reuters) - This weekend's 'El Clasico' will go a long way to deciding the destination of LaLiga and Carlo Ancelotti's Real Madrid side will need to play a complete game to defeat league leaders Barcelona, the Italian said on Saturday.
Real have a four-point gap to make up with four games remaining if they are to retain the title and for Ancelotti they will need to get everything right to have a chance on Sunday.
"In this type of game you have to do things well. Barcelona are used to keeping the opponent in their own area, but no team is perfect," he said.
"It's a game where there's a lot at stake and to win you have to manage everything well, defend well, attack well. We have to play a complete game."
With so much at stake against their great rivals, Ancelotti will have little trouble getting his players fired up.
"It's not difficult to motivate the players because it's the type of match for which the players already come out motivated and with a lot of confidence," he said.
"Playing with Barcelona is special. It will be the last 'El Clasico' of the season because Barca are not in the Club World Cup.
The speculation surrounding Ancelotti's future has only increased with the news that former Real player Xabi Alonso will leave Bayer Leverkusen at the end of the season but, whatever happens, Real Madrid will remain dear to the Italian.
"What happens around us has not affected us at all," he said before adding: "With this club the honeymoon does not end.
"Real Madrid and AC Milan before it are clubs that stay in my heart because of the time I've been here and because of the relationships. The honeymoon with Madrid is going to be until the last day of my life.
"I have read that he (Alonso) is leaving Bayer Leverkusen. He has done an incredible job and has the doors open because he has proven to be one of the best in the world."
Real have lost all three previous games against Barcelona in this campaign, including the recent Copa del Rey final, and exited the Champions League at the quarter-final stage against Arsenal having won the competition last season.
However, Ancelotti still regards this term as a decent campaign.
"It's been a good league and a good season," he said.
"You need continuity to be able to win it, or to be close explains very well what tomorrow's game is going to be. We both have a lot at stake. Barca will have more chances than us, but if we win it will still be all to play for.
(Reporting by Trevor Stynes; Editing by Ken Ferris)
