Ancelotti Holds No Fear Ahead Of Facing Barcelona In El Clasico

Real Madrid will go into the game at the Santiago Bernabeu three points behind their rivals, who are flying under their new manager Hansi Flick.

But Los Blancos are one of two unbeaten sides left in La Liga this term and have gone over a year without losing a game in the Spanish top flight.

Avoiding defeat will see Real Madrid match Barcelona's record of 43 La Liga games without defeat, set between 2017 and 2018 under Ernesto Valverde.

Both teams won against German opposition in midweek in the Champions League, with Real Madrid beating Borussia Dortmund 5-2 while Barcelona thrashed Bayern Munich 4-1.

"Fortunately, at the moment nobody keeps me awake at night," Ancelotti told a press conference on Friday.

"[Barcelona] are doing very well. But in a match like the Clasico, it's very difficult to pick a favourite beforehand. It depends on the dynamics of the match. It's a matter of how you are able to handle the pressure, to deal with the tempo and how to identify the moments of the match...

"Barca have a very clear idea of how they play the game, they are performing very well. They are a very brave team, and we need to prepare well for the game and try to play our best version."