MADRID, 19 Mar. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The coach of Real Madrid, Carlo Ancelotti, has assured that he is “not” “concerned” that the French striker Karim Benzema will not be able to play the Clásico against FC Barcelona this Sunday, since he considers that they can win perfectly without him, and has affirmed that they must play “a complete match” to try to overcome the azulgranas.
“Karim and Mendy cannot play tomorrow. They stay here and next week they will work with us,” he declared at a press conference. “We have never taken risks, neither in the Paris game and he played. Tomorrow he cannot play because he has not trained and has a little discomfort. It is a small injury, but it allows him to train,” he added.
Despite being the Pichichi of the team, the Italian coach is convinced that they can win without him. “I think we can do it. Benzema is a very important part of this team, but he finishes the team’s work well. We have to keep up the same work and look for different solutions without Karim”, he stated.
“We have to assess Benzema’s future, but this season he has played just the right amount. His absence has affected the team. He has had injuries at the right time of the season, and it’s the same with this season. stay here,” he said. “He is 34 years old, he has had very little discomfort and he has returned soon. He will make a difference again. That he does not play tomorrow does not worry me, because we have time to recover him by the end of the season, where he will make a difference,” he continued.
In this sense, he confirmed that “everything is decided” regarding who will replace the French striker in the starting eleven. “We have Mariano, Jovic, I have put Isco once, Rodrygo… I have chosen the option that I think is best for this match.”
Regarding the Classic, he stressed that it is a game “that normally demands a lot” and that it is “special” for everyone. “We need to get the best out of it. The team has worked well and we are confident for tomorrow,” he said. “We want to do our best. It’s going to be a game with many facets: low block, high pressure… We played a very strong game against an opponent who is doing very well. We’re not going to win with just one thing, we have to defend well, play well, go well from behind with the ball, play vertically… We have to play a complete game”, he analysed.
Nor does he believe that the culé team will be ruled out of the fight for the title if they lose this Sunday. “If we win tomorrow we will have three more points that bring us closer to winning. We don’t have to think that Barcelona will be ruled out, they will play until the last game no matter what happens,” he stressed.
It will also be the first Clasico at the Santiago Bernabéu since March 2020. “The last time at the Bernabéu was an unforgettable night, we all have this in our minds, and we want to repeat it. I think it can be repeated tonight and we will do our best “, he indicated, remembering the 2-0 of that appointment, with goals from Vinícius and Mariano.
Regarding those of Xavi Hernández, the one from Reggiolo assured that “the identity of the team has never changed”. “He has his style of play very clear and Xavi embodies this style very well, he is doing very well and the team has improved a lot. It is in a good dynamic, it is a complete team that plays very well. His staff is doing very well “, he explained, before talking about the different styles of play. “Real Madrid’s style has to embody the characteristics of the players. If you have players who can make a good possession, you have to play a good possession game. If you don’t have good defenses, long balls are a good option. I don’t I rule out nothing,” he said.
“I’m not going to force a player to play a style of play that they don’t like or feel uncomfortable with. We have energy in midfield, and every time we plan a different game to try and win,” he said. “I’m happy and happy, I have the respect of everyone. The players who don’t play suffer more, but the relationship continues to be good between people. The players here are very professional,” he added about his relationship with the squad.
In another order of things, Ancelotti spoke about the situation of Eden Hazard and Gareth Bale. “Players of this level want more prominence. I have not given them prominence because I have chosen other players, but personally I am happy, they have always trained well,” he said.
Finally, he surrendered to Nacho’s “professionalism”. “Nacho has a lot of balance in his character, he knows very well what his position is in this squad and nothing happens if he doesn’t play. He has a very high level of professionalism, whether he plays as a central defender, as a winger or not. He’s always ‘top'”, concluded.