Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti will break a Champions League record held by Sir Alex Ferguson in Wednesday's semi-final second leg against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.
Both Ancelotti and Ferguson are two of the most prestigious managers in world football and have enjoyed penalty of success at the highest level, winning Europe's elite club competition on multiple occasions.
Indeed, Ancelotti has won a record four Champions Leagues, including two with AC Milan and two with Real Madrid, winning last season's final against Liverpool by a 1-0 scoreline.
Ferguson, meanwhile, won two European titles with Manchester United in 1999 and 2008 after guiding Aberdeen to the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1983.
Ancelotti remains in the hunt to lift a fifth Champions League trophy this term, with his Real Madrid side heading to the Etihad on Wednesday after playing out a 1-1 first-leg draw with Man City at the Santiago Bernabeu last week.
© Reuters
The 63-year-old will take change of his 191st Champions League game as a manager on Wednesday, which will see him surpass the previous record held by Ferguson, who amassed a total of 190 matches in the competition.
Los Blancos' second-leg tie against the Citizens is also Ancelotti's 50th Champions League game with the Spanish giants, and having previously taken charge of 73 games with Milan in the competition, the Italian will become just the second manager to reach a half century with two different teams, along with Man City boss Pep Guardiola.
Indeed, Guardiola took charge of exactly 50 Champions League games during his time with Barcelona and will sit in the dugout for the 74th time as Citizens manager in Europe's premier club competition on Wednesday.
Real Madrid are seeking to move one step closer to winning a record-extending 15th Champions League title, and Ancelotti believes that the "special" nature of the competition can spur on his side against a Man City outfit who were knocked out by Los Blancos at the semi-final stage last season.
© Reuters
Speaking at a pre-match press conference on Tuesday, Ancelotti said: "It's not easy to explain, but personally I feel the Champions League is special for Real Madrid because of the history, because the club won the first six.
"It's something very special and that makes a difference. The club does a good job of keeping this history alive. We don't forget the players who made history at this club, such as [Alfredo] Di Stefano, [Paco] Gento, Amancio, etc."
Ancelotti added: "We need to be strong defensively as a whole. It won't be such a different game from the first leg. I think we can play better than we did in the first leg.
"I want my team to read the situations of the match well. We'll suffer at points, which is normal in a match like this, but we also have to realise when our opponents are suffering. We'll try to win the game as a collective and with our individuals."
Real Madrid were on the wrong end of a thrilling 4-3 scoreline at the Etihad in the first leg of last season's Champions League semi-final with Man City, before remarkably turning the tie on its head on home soil to win 6-5 on aggregate after extra time.
No Data Analysis info
