Real Madrid stars Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale are just as competitive when playing against each other in training as they will be when they face off in Wednesday's Euro 2016 semifinal, their former coach Carlo Ancelotti has written in the Daily Telegraph.
Portugal captain Ronaldo and Wales forward Bale have won the Champions League on the same team twice in the last three seasons, but will be aiming to end the other's dream of European glory with their national teams in Lyon.
Ancelotti was the coach at Real from 2013-15 and led Los Blancos to the club's 10th Champions League title before being replaced by Rafa Benitez after losing out on La Liga title to Barcelona in his final season in charge.
The Italian had plenty of chances to see the two stars up close training at Real Madrid and said their competitive nature is unquestionable.
"Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo have faced each other more times on the training ground at Valdebebas in Madrid than they can probably remember," he wrote. "And let me tell you even when the big names at the club are playing a game at the end of training, they want to win.
"Yes, I have seen these two boys sweating over an eight-a-side game many times during my two years at Madrid. All the great players are competitors.
"They all want to come out on top even when the only thing at stake is to be able to walk into the training-ground canteen as the winner. So when it comes to the game in Lyon, just think what it will mean to these two lads to do it for their countries."
Ancelotti, who is soon to begin work as manager of Bayern Munich ahead of the new season, added that he admires how much both players care deeply about playing for their countries.
"Both of them come from national teams that are not usually among the best in Europe, although Cristiano has a good record with Portugal," Ancelotti wrote. "Both of them care a lot about their countries and however famous they have become it still means just the same to them.
"I like that. I like footballers who care about their national teams."
He stopped short, however, of saying who he thought would have the greater chance of progressing to face either hosts France or world champions Germany in Sunday's final at the Stade de France.
"They are different players, despite the obvious similarities," Ancelotti wrote. "At Madrid, I played Cristiano on the left and Gareth on the right because that was the way it worked best for the team.
"Gareth can play any one of those three attacking positions if you want him to. Cristiano always wanted to play on the left because he felt that was the position that served him the best."