Did he annoy them at rest?
This is not the time for fights. We weren’t happy with the first half, we missed a lot of passes, we lost duels and in this time of games the mental aspect is decisive. Naturally, Atlético had an advantage in this regard, it’s normal. We didn’t need the points, we did need to play a good game. In the second half we did better. We needed to give breaks, avoid problems and also play better than in the first half. It’s been a good second half, we’ve been close to equalizing and I think we have to keep it up. The priority today was to avoid problems, give minutes to those who had less and that’s how it will be in the next games. On Thursday those who have played less today will play, Karim, Modric, Vinicius… and against Cádiz the same. The objective is clear, these games help us to have rhythm and today we have had it until the end.
What happened to Mariano? He did not give Benzema minutes.
Mariano was in the starting eleven, but he wasn’t comfortable, he had a little discomfort in his hamstring. He had tests done in the morning, he seemed fine, but then he wasn’t comfortable. Jovic yesterday had gastroenteritis, but the game has done it. He didn’t want to put Karim in.
Why didn’t you want to bring in Benzema?
I was tired, I hadn’t recovered and the first thing I have to do is avoid problems. Modric was also tired and I wanted to avoid putting him in from the beginning.
Can the headdresses reach the final? What did you think of Jovic’s match?
The idea is that everyone is available for the 28th, the entire squad. We work for it. Jovic had difficulty in the first half, we weren’t able to play clean from behind and the strikers had more difficulty than the others.
Can it be said that Valverde is untouchable today?
Yes, you can tell.
How about Simeone? He has ordered someone to shut up.
I command silence? No. I’ve had trouble with the referee’s assistant, they gave me a card, but nothing more. Simeone greeted me, congratulated me and everything was fine with him.
Would you like the Champions League final to be next week?
No. I think we have just the right amount of time, these games are good for us, we can recover everyone and reach the final well.
Thinking of a mini preseason?
Now we play on Thursday. Can’t work. Then we have a game on Sunday and after Cádiz we have two weeks. We prepare a normal week as always, aerobic, strength and tactical work, nothing special. At this time it is best to touch as little as possible.
(Ancelotti said goodbye with a smile: “We are not talking about the penalty”).
The Real Madrid coach also reviewed the match on Movistar Plus + LaLiga:
How did you see it? “It was a good game, competitive, even. We were better in the second half. We couldn’t ask for much more from this game after a very exciting week. We played a good game. I didn’t expect more”.
Is it understandable what happened in the first half, where Atlético gained more in intensity, duels… because they had more at stake than Madrid?: “We had problems starting from behind, we missed a lot of passes, duels… It’s quite normal. The mental aspect is very important in this type of game”.
How are you going to manage it in the remaining three games?: “As we did tonight, competing, putting intensity, rhythm… The intensity of the team has been good, I have given minutes to everyone. We have to continue like this, without complicating our lives, and prepare well for the next three games”.
Is your plan like today’s?: “Yes, on Thursday those who have played less today are going to play, against Cádiz the same, against Betis more or less the same ones who are going to start the final”.
Are you worried that there will be an injury in the remaining three league games?: “Clearly it is the most important thing. We have to reach the final with all the available players.”
How did you see Jovic and Lunin?: “Lunin has played very well, he has been safe in goal. Jovic too. He had difficulty because yesterday he had gastroenteritis. He was fine for an hour. He worked, fought and had a good game”.