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Pressure on Ancelotti and Real Madrid

It's unpleasant to say about anyone -- above all a guy of sustained talent, decency and achievement -- but Carlo Ancelotti's position as Real Madrid manager will be untenable if his team leaves Atletico Madrid's Vicente Calderon without performing in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinal.

Real Madrid must perform aggressively, intensely, competitively or at least score a goal.

Ancelotti's supporters, his agent, his wife ... they'd all remind me that he's the reigning World and European club champion. They would remind me that he led Madrid to La Decima.

True enough, but look at it like this:

Another derbi defeat would mean Los Blancos have lost an unprecedented five times to their city enemies in a single season.