MADRID, 9 May. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The coach of Real Madrid, Carlo Ancelotti, explained his plan for the coming weeks and that affected the team in the defeat (1-0) against Atlético de Madrid this Sunday, with the intention, as he did at the Metropolitano, to rotate, distribute minutes and “avoid problems” ahead of the Champions League final on May 28.
“It’s not the time for a fight in this period. We weren’t happy in the first half because we missed a lot of passes. In this type of game the mental aspect is very important. Sometimes it’s decisive. Atlético had an advantage in this regard We didn’t need points, but we needed to play a good game. In the second half we did better. We needed to give rest to those who were tired to avoid problems”, he stated.
The Italian coach calmly attended the press conference, after a game in which Madrid reacted late and showed the relaxation of the new champion. “It was a good game, especially in the second half. We were close to equalizing and we must continue like this. The priority was to avoid problems and give minutes to those who have played the least. That’s how it will be in the next games,” he said.
“On Thursday those who have played the least today are going to play, Benzema, Modric, Vinicius. These games help us to have rhythm and today we have had it until the end,” he added, explaining that Mariano dropped out of the eleven because “he had discomfort in the hamstrings”. The Italian confessed that he wants to have everyone ready for Paris.
“Benzema was tired and hadn’t recovered. The first thing I have to do is avoid problems. Modric was also tired and I preferred not to bring him in from the start. The idea is for everyone to be available on the 28th and we’re working on it. We have the time fair and we must play these games because they are good for us. We have the opportunity to get everyone back and get to the final in good shape. We play on Thursday and we can’t work,” he concluded.