Spain coach Carlo Ancelotti was not bothered by Real Madrid being criticised for prioritising defence in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final against Man City.
"The criticism doesn't surprise me. Everyone has their own opinion," Ancelotti said at a press conference ahead of the La Liga match against Barca. "You have to do well with and without the ball. There are some games where you have less possession than usual. We played well and I haven't seen any Real Madrid fans upset with the result. Maybe they will appear in the next few days!"
In the second leg of the Champions League quarter-finals at the Etihad Stadium on the evening of April 17, Real were statistically inferior to the home team Man City. They had eight shots, three of which were on target, and only managed to get a corner kick in extra time. In contrast, Man City had 68% possession, 33 shots with nine on target, 18 corners and 919 passes.
Carlo Ancelotti (center) and Pep Guardiola argue with the referee during the second leg of the Champions League quarter-finals at the Etihad Stadium on April 17, 2024. Photo: Reuters.
However, the Spanish team still showed the spirit of the Champions League king, including the opening goal in the 12th minute thanks to a close-range shot by Rodrygo. It was not until the 76th minute that the home team was able to equalize thanks to Kevin De Bruyne. After two inconclusive extra periods, Real won 4-3 in the penalty shootout - where only Luka Modric failed to complete the task, while two Man City players, Bernardo Silva and Mateo Kovacic, failed.
"It was a great night," Ancelotti said. "I'm not saying Real suffered, but it was difficult. We were hardly ahead in both games against Man City. We had the advantage in terms of the score. That's why we played deep. I think Real had more difficulties than against Chelsea a few years ago."
Ancelotti revealed that he always asks his players how they feel to see who is ready for a penalty shootout. He praised goalkeeper Andriy Lunin for gathering a lot of information about City’s free-kick takers, including advice from Kepa, and it paid off. The Italian said the team are in good shape for El Clasico, with the exception of Ferland Mendy, who needs more rest.
Real are currently top of La Liga with 78 points, eight points ahead of Barca. Ancelotti is determined to help Real win to make a big step towards the championship, but considers this a difficult goal because Barca are in good form, despite being eliminated by PSG in the Champions League, and have not given up on defending their title.
Coach Ancelotti greets his colleague Xavi before the Barca - Real Madrid match in La Liga at Camp Nou, Barcelona on March 19, 2023. Photo: Reuters.
At the previous press conference, Xavi also appreciated Real's approach in the match against Man City. "In my opinion, you are playing against the best team in the world, which is Man City," said the Spanish coach. "Sometimes you don't want to defend, but you have to do so because of the opponent. Many people say Real's success comes from luck. I don't believe in luck. In the past three years, Real eliminated Man City twice in the Champions League."
While Real advanced, Barca lost 1-4 to PSG in the second leg of the Champions League quarter-finals and were eliminated 4-6 on aggregate. Xavi received a red card for kicking the TV camera protection pad next to the technical area. The 44-year-old coach admitted that he should not have reacted like that and regretted that Barca made many individual mistakes and could not maintain their advantage.
Xaiv also denied there were any problems in the dressing room, after midfielder Ilkay Gundogan implicitly criticised three teammates for making mistakes in key situations that led to Barca's reverse to PSG. "It's resolved," he said. "When there's no malice, there's no problem. It's resolved."
Hong Duy
Source link
Comment (0)