Carlo Ancelotti said the LaLiga title race has “reached a point where you can’t slip up” as Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atlético Madrid go into this weekend’s games with just a point between them at the top of the table.
Atlético, who have 50 points, visit Valencia on Saturday, before Barcelona on 51 travel to Las Palmas. Real Madrid, level with their Clásico rivals, host Girona on Sunday.
Real Madrid excelled in midweek, beating Manchester City 3-1 to reach the Champions League round of 16, but haven’t won this month in LaLiga as the club rages at a series of refereeing decisions, with Jude Bellingham suspended against Girona after his red card at Osasuna.
“It’s a game in an important moment of the season,” Ancelotti said in a news conference on Saturday. “We played well against City, and we have to repeat that. We’ve reached a point [in the season] where you can’t slip up.”
Madrid lost 1-0 at Espanyol on Feb. 1 — after goalscorer Carlos Romero wasn’t sent off for a challenge on Kylian Mbappé — and then drew 1-1 with Atlético, before another 1-1 draw at Osasuna.
“We’ve had a bit of bad luck,” Ancelotti said. “In the three games we played quite well, less so against Espanyol, more against Atlético, and better against Osasuna with ten men. We have to keep going. If you play well and have a good attitude, the results will reward that.”
Ancelotti said he expects the title race to remain competitive until the end of the season.
“It’s difficult to find a more competitive league than Spain,” he said. “In Italy there aren’t many teams competing [at the top], and in England there’s Liverpool. Here, there are three teams with one point between them, teams of a very high level. It’s a league that will be decided in the last game.”
Real Madrid and Atlético were paired together in the Champions League round-of-16 draw on Friday, leaving Atlético facing a testing month which will see them play their cross-city rivals twice and Barcelona three times.
“It will be difficult, as it is always is against Atlético,” Ancelotti said. “It will be a nice tie, entertaining. It’s evenly matched. The last two meetings have been two draws, and that means the quality of the two teams is similar.”
