Ancelotti challenges Guardiola, Real Madrid returns tonight - Manchester City

Real Madrid-Manchester City, the first leg of the Champions League semi-final, is the revenge of a year ago, when Madrid prevailed. The cross between the old and the new nobility of European football is back, between the club that has 14 Cups with big ears on its board and those who still chase the first, despite the huge investments made by the Abu Dhabi property, which arrived in 2008.

But it is also the challenge between Carlo Ancelotti and Pep Guardiola, two of the most successful coaches of all time and with boundless charisma, although expressed in different keys: the first, 63 years old, very attentive to relationships with the players (who repay him with esteem and affection), lover of good food, superstitious; the second, 52, ready to joke, but with an angular character, passionate about golf, art and... of healthy diets.

"The program? Playing a complete game, which means giving the best on a physical, technical and motivational level," said Ancelotti on the eve of the match, aware that "the return will be decisive". At this point in the season "motivation matters more than form - he continued - and winning the Copa del Rey has given us new enthusiasm. Modric? There will be."

The coach of Reggiolo at the Champions League gives the 'you': he won two on the field with Milan and four on the bench (record), equally divided between Rossoneri and Real. On the contrary, since the arrival of Guardiola in 2016, City's European disappointments have multiplied and the Catalan has failed to repeat the glories of Barcelona in the 2008-'09 and 2010-'11 editions. The Haaland goal machine (51 in 46 games) was the individuality he lacked and now Pep has the best team since Barça. But according to Ancelotti "talking only about Haaland is doing wrong to a complete team, which attacks, which has ideas ... We will not play to stop Haaland, but a team that seems unstoppable. But I think we can beat her."

Both profess to be pupils of Arrigo Sacchi, but Ancelotti, who started as his second, is his most orthodox interpreter. Guardiola, a follower of tiki-taka and exasperated ball possession, likes to experiment. Messi 'false nueve' invented it. Ancelotti has always repeated: it is not written anywhere that you have to touch the ball 20 times before finishing at the net.

City "is a more complete team than last year, when they had a very good striker, Gabriel Jesus, but with different qualities from those of Haaland - underlined Ancelotti - Today they make better use of long throws, because they have a very high striker. But it's still Guardiola's team, it hasn't changed its style of play. He defends effectively and handles the ball very well."