Ancelotti: “We needed a game like this”

MADRID, 19 Feb. (EUROPA PRESS) –

The coach of Real Madrid, Carlo Ancelotti, recognized that they needed a game like the one this Saturday against Deportivo Alavés (3-0), above all because of the “commitment” of their players in a “good” second half where the ” quality” of the three forwards: Karim Benzema, Marco Asensio and Vinicius Junior.

“We needed a match like this. It is true that the first half was more difficult but we have had the commitment throughout the match. Quality was lacking in the last third of the field, something that I have commented on at the break. He has fulfilled it The three strikers did very well, apart from scoring the three goals, they did very well”, analyzed the Italian at a press conference.

“We have talked about this issue,” he said about the difficulty of facing duels with more aggressiveness. “We know that we have to go into games with the necessary intensity. It’s a weakness that we’ve had and we’re going to fix it. The last game that we started well was in December in Bilbao. It’s also true that the rivals put a lot of pressure in the first half and in the second they lower it and we are better”, added Ancelotti.

Asked by the fans, the man from Reggiolo said that he is right. “The public evaluates the game we play. They didn’t like the game in the first half and they did like the game in the second. We agree with what the public thinks. We needed to do more at half-time and we have done it. I think the public has thanked him because in the second part he was happy”, he pointed out.

“The fans are with us as always. If we don’t play well they’re not happy and if we play well they appreciate it. They’re hooked. They want us to win the league and always achieve the best for the club. It’s true that we played a bad game on Tuesday but today they have seen a reaction and this is good”, commented Ancelotti.

Regarding the scorers, he said that “when the strikers score, it’s a good sign.” “The fact that we scored with the top three is important for us after the last few games without Karim (Benzema). This game helps us to be better and better prepare for the next ones”.

Finally, asked about his cautious gesture with the 1-0, he revealed that “he was thinking of changing something.” “But later, when Marco Asensio scored the goal, we waited because I liked the team a lot”, he concluded.