Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti acknowledged that the arrival of Hansi Flick "has changed Barcelona’s playing philosophy a bit," now making them "much more direct." However, he admitted that this does not "keep him up at night," and he has a prepared plan he chose not to reveal. 

"Barcelona has changed its philosophy a bit. They’re a team that plays differently now; they’re much more direct. I don’t want to compare it to Xavi’s work because, for me, it was fantastic in his own way, with his ideas. We often lost, but now it’s different, and we respect them just the same," he stated on Friday in a press conference.

"They’re doing very well, but in a match like a clásico or a derby, it’s tough to pick a favorite. Thankfully, no one is keeping me up at night for now. Anything can happen; it’s not just about quality. It’s about how you handle the pressure and moments of the game because there will be times we have control and others when Barcelona does. Managing the timing is crucial to succeeding in the game," he explained.

The Italian coach has a specific plan for his players to exploit an advanced defense if Flick uses it at the Santiago Bernabéu and also for different scenarios. "I have something planned, but I don’t think it’s appropriate to explain it today. We’ll see tomorrow, and then you can tell me if I was wrong or not," he noted.

"We’ve prepared to play well with and without the ball. If they maintain a high line, then there’s one way to attack, but if they drop back, you need to manage the attack differently. We need to play a complete game to try to win. That’s what we’ll try to do," he said.

Finally, he recognized that the magnitude of the match means he doesn’t need to talk much to his players before the game or do anything specific to motivate them. 

"In these kinds of games, you don’t need to say much. The idea is to prepare a clear and simple strategy. Nothing more. There’s no need to say a lot because everyone’s motivated and eager to play," he shared, recalling a story from his playing days before the biggest matches.

"When I was a player, I used to worry a lot, and a great player like Van Basten would see me worried and say, 'Don’t worry, the strategy is very clear: just give me the ball and go celebrate.' Luckily, that happened many times," he concluded.