Every word of Carlo Ancelotti’s pre-match press conference ahead of the Champions League quarter final first leg against Chelsea

This year’s Champions League final will take place on 10 June - which just happens to be Carlo Ancelotti’s 64th birthday, and will be played at the Atatürk stadium, the scene of one of the most extraordinary finals in recent history. It was in Istanbul in May 2005, that Ancelotti’s AC Milan surrendered a three-goal lead to end up losing on penalties to Liverpool on an unforgettable night. Depending on how fate plays out this year, there is a chance that Italian could end up facing his old team in Istanbul on his big day... but first, Real Madrid have to get past quarter final opponents Chelsea. Ancelotti joined David Alaba in the press room at Valdebebas to look ahead to the match.

What is the key to getting past a great team like Chelsea and advancing to the semis?

The most important thing, first of all, is to go into the game knowing that it’s a tie that is played over 180 minutes and try to put in a good game. Tomorrow’s game isn’t decisive, but it’s chance for us to give ourselves an advantage so that we are more comfortable going into the return leg. The players are fine, they’re excited, motivated, we want to win and we are keen to experience another magical night in the Champions League at the Bernabéu.

Unlike last year, Real Madrid must play the first leg at home and the return leg in London... How will that affect this tie?

It’s a different way of thinking, a different approach but as I say, we have to make the most of the fact that we are playing the first leg at home and try and gain an advantage for the second game which will be the decisive game. Usually, I think the team plays well home and away - there was only one game last season, the first leg against Paris Saint-Germain where we didn’t play well. But in the rest, we did well over both legs and we deserved to win the Champions League. Because the team that deserves to win, usually does.

This year’s final will be played in Istanbul on your birthday and there is a possibility that Madrid could face Paolo Maldini’s Milan...

Yes, I know! For me and for Paolo, Istanbul doesn’t hold happy memories - particularly the stadium, the Atatürk, for what happened in 2005. But only for that. I have all the love in the world for Maldini - he was a colleague, my captain, a great guy, fantastic man so if we see each other on my birthday, obviously that would be great.

How is Fede Valdeverde bearing up after the incident against Villarreal, what advice do you have for him?

Both yesterday and today he looked fine to me, fired up, motivated like the rest of the team. He trained well. We value him a lot. Fede has extraordinary human qualities but I don’t want to comment on what happened. I’m sure that tomorrow, he will give everything he’s got as he always does.

You sent out a very attacking team against Barcelona at Camp Nou, will you be doing the same against Chelsea tomorrow?

Attacking or defensive... what we will be setting out to do is put in a complete game, play well, better than we played against Villarreal and we’ll attack, if possible like we did against Barcelona.

Were Chelsea the toughest opponents that Real Madrid played against last season?

We really suffered when we met last season, no doubt about it. For different circumstances, they had a substantial lead when they came here and we were given a tough time. We have to respect this team, and Chelsea as a club because it is a top level club. They have some very good players - they’re not in their best moment but in these kinds of games, teams that are not in form are more motivated. It will bring out the best of them. For the individual players Chelsea have in their squad, they are a top level side.

Frank Lampard, who like you also managed Everton, is far less experienced as a coach and now faces the defending European champions. He’s 44, the same age as you were when you won your first Champions League. How much will experience, or lack of it, play a part in this tie?

I think for all all of the experience I have built up - not through luck, simply for the length of time I’ve been doing this, I’m 63, he’s 44, won’t have any bearing on tomorrow’s game. Lampard was a brilliant player, who I was lucky enough to coach for two seasons - a fantastic professional. He knows very well what can happen in these games and he will be preparing his team for it. In this case, I don’t think experience will be a factor. He only returned to Chelsea last week, there are many players that he already knows, I’m sure he will do well during his time at Chelsea.

You said earlier that “Madrid deserved to win” last year, while people suggested that Madrid were lucky. Do you think such criticism is justified in any way after having to overturn three ties?

I’m convinced that we deserved to win. We had to fight back in every game, and we had more to give in the final minutes of those games - more confidence, more energy in order to win those games. The game ends when the ref blows his whistle. We deserved to win the trophy and we have to try to be deserved winners again this year.

...and not for how the players were managed, but because we played better than the other teams.

Would you consider going back to Chelsea to help them out?

Go back? No. It’s sad to see, I had a great time there. It goes without saying that I am a Chelsea fan, but I wouldn’t go back. I hope that Lampard does a great job with them.

Vinicius has improved a lot in recent weeks, is that because of any tactical work you have done with him?

It’s down to his own inspiration. He’s unstoppable right now, sometimes rivals manage to stop him, sometimes they don’t but he keeps going... Right now he is spectacular. And the things he’s doing, he does that every day. He doesn’t hold himself back in training, he trains at full throttle.

This season, Benzema and Vinicius have more goals than Chelsea combined. What is the secret behind their partnership?

This is a group that I only get to see here in Valdebebas, but they all get on well together. They understand when they can joke around and the moments when they need to work seriously. Sometimes they like to have their fun, but when they need to knuckle down, I don’t have to say anything to them because they already know. For me, managing this squad is very simple. I manage them well. I am fantastic in man management but there are other things - this is a very well-formed team. If they win the Copa del Rey, this group will have won everything there is to win. Some clubs don’t even manage that in their lifetime.