Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti says his side were full of confidence after they beat Liverpool to reach the Champions League quarter-finals on Wednesday.

The record 14-time European champions defeated Liverpool 1-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu and 6-2 on aggregate to advance to the quarterfinals.

Ancelotti believes his team’s remarkable run to glory last season has given them a great deal of confidence as they attempt to win the Champions League for the sixth time in ten years.

Los Blancos staged incredible comebacks against Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea, and Manchester City before defeating Liverpool in the championship match.

Even in the first leg of the round of 16 match against Jurgen Klopp’s Reds, Madrid trailed 2-0 before roaring to a 5-2 victory.

“We have a lot more confidence, because of what happened last year, it gave us a lot of confidence,” Ancelotti told reporters.

“We saw that in this tie, against a strong team, we did well in the two games.

“But later, with confidence alone, we don’t reach the semi-finals. We have to play surprising football … as always, the Champions League is very complicated and we have to compete until the end.”

Veteran midfielders Luka Modric and Toni Kroos, and youngster Eduardo Camavinga, all played well together against Liverpool, to the coach’s praise.

“The atmosphere is created by the players — the intelligence, humility and patience of the veterans,” said Ancelotti.

“The key is the humility of the veterans, they don’t have egos, and the patience of the youngsters because in front of them are players who have had fantastic careers and still are.

“Modric and Kroos aren’t playing because of the careers they have had, they are playing because they deserve it.”

Photo by EPA/JUANJO MARTIN