Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti says neither he nor his players will be underestimating opponents Cruz Azul in Tuesday evening's Club World Cup semifinal at Le Grand Stade de Marrakech.
Champions League holders and current La Liga leaders Real have travelled to Morocco as overwhelming favourites to win the competition, while no Mexican team has ever made it to the final of the tournament.
Cruz Azul will also have to recover quickly from a draining 120 minutes on a heavy pitch in Saturday's 3-1 extra-time quarterfinal win against Western Sydney Wanderers at a rain-soaked Complexe Sportif Prince Moulay Abdellah in Rabat.
The Italian coach nevertheless told his pregame news conference that he expected a difficult game against a team with a number of ex-La Liga players.
"They are a quality side with experienced players who have played in Spain and are already familiar with our style," Ancelotti said. "It is a semifinal and every team is dangerous at this level. It will be an intense match. They play good football, playing to the strengths of their players."
Ancelotti said winning the FIFA-organised tournament would be an excellent way for Madrid to end a 2014 which has brought successes including the Champions League trophy and the Copa del Rey.
"The year is not over," he said. "We still have this competition, which is important. We are heading into it with a lot of excitement because we have done great work to get here. All the teams are champions and winning would mean putting an end to an unforgettable year."
Madrid are likely to field a strong XI for the semifinal, but midfielders Sami Khedira and James Rodriguez are not quite ready yet to return from injury.
"I do not think either Khedira or James will be ready by tomorrow," he said. "But they will both definitely be good to go for the next match."
However, Ancelotti appeared to suggest that Mexico international Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez may not get to start against his compatriots.
"[Hernanez] is motivated, as always, and is working hard every day," he said. "He will play an important role. I'm not sure how many minutes he'll play, but I'm sure he'll help the team out in the tournament."
Los Blancos defender Pepe also spoke at the news conference, and claimed that he and his teammates were looking forward to competing in a tournament he would put on a par with the Champions League.
"We are excited to play in this tournament," Pepe said. "It is the first Club World Cup a lot of us have played in. It is a very important occasion and we are going to approach it with every intention of winning.
"We have a lot of respect for the opposition and we will stick to our plan in order to win. It is just as important as the Champions League. The winner will be the best club in the world."
Both teams' preparations for the semifinal have been disrupted by a last minute change of venue to Marrakech, when it became clear that the conditions at the Rabat stadium would not improve in time for the game.
"We were training when the news about the change of venue came to us," Pepe said. "The most important thing is that we have the best conditions to play the match and that the fans are able to enjoy the quality we will be bringing to the pitch. The best thing is that both teams have the best conditions and that the fans are happy with what we do on the pitch."
Meanwhile, former Bernabeu coach Fabio Capello believes the current Real side are one of the best ever club teams.
Madrid are currently on a record run of 20 consecutive wins in all competitions, and Capello told Al Primer Toque that compatriot Ancelotti deserved huge praise for the work he has done in putting together such a fantastic side.
"This Real Madrid team is from another world," the current Russia manager said. "This year Ancelotti has done extraordinary work. They play to win the game, they have everything, they defend well, a lot of quality in the centre of the pitch, so much quality up front. They are possibly one of the best teams ever. They are a great team at the moment."
