Everton sit three points behind the Reds ahead of the clash and the Italian coach believes they can get their first derby win in over 10 years
Carlo Ancelotti has warned his Everton side that they are coming up against a team of “lions” in the derby match against Liverpool on Saturday.
The reigning Premier League champions have lost three games in a row heading into the meeting against their Merseyside rivals, who are just three points behind them.
Former AC Milan, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich boss Ancelotti admitted that his side may feel some trepidation as they take on Jurgen Klopp’s men, but insisted that is not always a bad thing.
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What did Ancelotti say?
“I had derbies in Milan, Madrid, everywhere. A derby is a special game,” he said at a press conference.
“It is not a normal game, if you think it is a normal game you are wrong. And special games bring more pressure, more fear sometimes.
“But fear is not a bad thing in my opinion because if you don’t have fear then you are going in front of the lion thinking it is a cat.
“But it is not a cat, it is a lion, so fear is important to have. It can help you to be more focused. This is the point.
“You can be worried, you can have fear but you need to have motivation, concentration and also in this kind of game brave. You have to show your quality. You don’t have to be scared.”
He added: “To play Liverpool you have to compete with the intensity levels they use in the games and you have to try and find solutions in front because you can’t only defend against them.
“So you have to try to propose something and we will try to propose something.”
Everton’s miserable decade against Liverpool
Everton have not beaten Liverpool in any competition since October 2010.
They have drawn 12 and lost 11 of the derby matches between the two sides since then and Ancelotti believes his side can end that unfortunate run this week.
“Every derby you want to win. [It’s been a] long time since Everton have won a derby. It could be the right time – the right time depends on what we are able to do on the pitch, only this,” he said.
“Is there extra pressure because of the record? No, for this we don’t have pressure because the worst has happened a lot of times in the past.
“I think we are better compared to the past and think we can have more opportunities to get a result.”
Further reading
- Why is Liverpool vs Everton called the friendly derby?
- Klopp: Alisson knows he’s world class
- Ancelotti responds to James Rodriguez exit talk
