Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti called on his team to deal with the shock loss in the Champions League against little-known Moldovan champion Sheriff Traspole when he traveled to Espanyol in the first leg of Spain on Sunday.

Real Madrid lead the table with 17 points, but were content with a 0-0 win over Villarreal in the previous round, losing 2-1 to the Sheriff last Tuesday. The best start of the season on the offensive front.

After a disappointing week, the Italian coach asked for a strong reaction from his players.

“The match against Sheriff affected the team’s pride,” he told a news conference. “Tomorrow we will respond seriously, do what we can, do what is necessary for success … These kinds of decisions do not affect me mentally, but physically it makes me think all night.”

He said, “In the last two games we have had trouble scoring. This has not happened before, but it’s football. I just said ten days ago, tough times are coming and we need to balance.”

Real Madrid lose injured Ferlan Mendy, Danny Ceballos, Danny Carvajal, Gareth Bale and Marcelo in the match against Espanyol.

Midfielder Tony Cruise, on the other hand, is ready for the first time since May after recovering from a thigh injury.

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