It is safe to say that Real Madrid fans are not too fond of Pep Guardiola, largely thanks to his past with Barcelona, a club he played for as well as managed. There is no denying though that the Spaniard has established himself as one of the most successful managers in the history of the game. Another man who is on that list is Carlo Ancelotti, and it appears that the Italian rates the current Manchester City boss very highly.
The two sides contested one of the most thrilling UEFA Champions League semi-finals ever last season, with Real Madrid coming out on top when all hope had seemed lost.
Guardiola continues to search for another Champions League title, since leaving Barcelona. In that period of time, Real Madrid have won the competition five times. There is no denying though that the Spanish manager has been extremely dominant domestically, at Bayern Munich and at Manchester City.
As reported by Real Madrid’s official website, Ancelotti said about Guardiola in the press conference before taking on Villarreal:
"“Guardiola is a fantastic coach and he’s brought something new and interesting to football, and he keeps doing so.”"
Real Madrid boss hails Guardiola for what he has brought to football
Guardiola finds himself in a tough position at the moment though, with his Manchester City side trailing Arsenal at the top of the Premier League, something that nobody would have expected coming into the season.
On the other hand, Ancelotti’s Real Madrid are in a better position, equal on points with Barcelona, although Los Blancos find themselves at second based on goal difference.
It will be interesting how the season progresses for both teams. At the same time, it would be no surprise if they end up coming against each other in the Champions League, being two of the best teams in Europe at this point of time without a shadow of a doubt. Let’s see what the future holds.