MADRID, 18 Sep. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti admitted on Tuesday that the Merengue team is still “searching” for its “best version”, arguing that to win Champions League games you have to “compete and know how to suffer”, while also acknowledging Endrick’s “courage” in making it 3-1 when Vinícius Júnior and Kylian Mbappé accompanied him on the counterattack.
“The headline of the match could be ‘Real Madrid wins the first match of the new Champions League’,” said the Madrid coach ironically in the press conference after the 3-1 victory over Stuttgart in the first match of the Champions League round.
After that first victory, the Italian admitted that they are “still” “looking for” their “best version”. “There were moments when we did very well, we didn’t start well, but after 20 minutes we took control of the game. We were able to kill the game in four transitions, and after the draw we had the strength to sacrifice ourselves and win an important game,” he analysed.
“If anyone thinks that winning games is easy, they’re wrong. I’ve coached more than 200 Champions League games and I’ve never won without suffering. We know very well what it’s like to win a Champions League with suffering. Last year we won the first game in the 95th minute, suffering a lot, suffering is nothing new. You have to fight, compete and know how to suffer,” added the Reggiolo native.
Ancelotti revealed that he was worried “as always” and “just like in other seasons” about the team’s performance, with the ability to “build football or play vertically.” “If we build, we won’t score the first goal. We have very fast forwards, sometimes we have to play directly,” he warned.
“We have won the last two Champions Leagues by defending well and taking advantage of the speed of our forwards. We have to work on building up from the back. But the easiest way to create opportunities is to get close to the opponent’s goal as quickly as possible,” he recalled.
The Real Madrid coach praised Endrick’s “courageous” goal on “the last ball of the match” and when “the best solution was to take advantage of the counterattack.” “It was the most complicated solution, but it worked out very well for him. Nobody could have thought he could shoot, he has that gift, he is very effective, he has something special. He is very fast and has a very strong shot,” he praised before joking about the player’s wedding two days ago. “He has shown that he is very brave, in every sense,” he said.
Finally, he highlighted the role of Antonio Rüdiger in the Madrid defence, also contributing in attack. “He is very powerful in both areas, he is a very important resource. And Modric is an expert on set pieces, which has worked well for us,” he concluded.