Real Madrid, Barcelona respect each other – Ancelotti

Real Madrid and Barcelona, locked in a title battle in La Liga and set to face off in the Copa del Rey final, have “a lot of respect” for each other, says Los Blancos coach Carlo Ancelotti.

Madrid trail leaders Barcelona by three points in the Spanish top flight with nine matches remaining and reached the Copa del Rey final in midweek with a dramatic 5-4 aggregate victory over Real Sociedad.

They will face Barca in the final on April 26 after the Catalans edged past Atletico Madrid. “Barcelona is playing well, they’re in good form,” Ancelotti told reporters on Friday ahead of his team’s game against Valencia at the weekend.

“When you play a final, you have to respect all your opponents. “I think there’s a lot of respect for Barcelona because of their quality, and I think Barcelona also has a lot of respect for Real Madrid.”

Real will also face Barca at the Olympic Stadium in a crucial league match in May, while both clubs are through to the Champions League quarter-finals. Ancelotti’s men needed extra-time against Sociedad to secure a thrilling 4-4 semi-final, second-leg draw on Tuesday.

The reigning La Liga champions on Saturday host a Valencia side who have put together a four-match unbeaten run to pull clear of the relegation zone.