Real Madrid News
Ancelotti talks Alvaro Rodriguez, Benzema, Kroos, Camavinga after Real Madrid 1-1 Atletico
The third Madrid derby of the season and twentieth meeting between Carlo Ancelotti and Diego Simeone ended in a 1-1 draw on Saturday night with Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid sharing the spoils at the Bernabeu.
Atletico Madrid played a very defensive first half, with the hosts dominating not only the possession but also the chances created. After a goalless first half, the complexion of the game changed at the hour mark when Angel Correa was sent off for the visitors.
Despite being a man down, the Rojiblancos rose to the occasion and took the lead at Santiago Bernabeu. Only an Alvero Rodriguez goal late into the game salvaged a point for Real Madrid.
Carlo Ancelotti spoke to the press after his team’s game and elaborated on a plethora of topics including the sending-off and the team’s struggles. Here are the snippets from his interview.
On the implications of the result on the title race: “It is not goodbye to LaLiga. It is more complicated than before the match, but we have to fight and fight until the end. Now the cup is the most important thing because it is the next game and we are very close to a title. We are 270 minutes away from winning a title.”
On Atletico Madrid’s goal: “We conceded the goal due to the quality of the other team, something we have to take into account in football. It also happened to them with our goal. These are things that can happen, but their goal came at a time when we could’ve pushed forward and that lowered the team’s morale. It’s quite normal that we are not at our best because it’s the 17th game in 50 days, since 30 December.”
On Alvaro Rodriguez: “He has shown all his quality and it is a special night for him and for us because we are beginning to realise that he will be useful in this part of the season.”
On the youngster’s future: “For next season he will be in the first team squad because he has the quality that few others have. For his age, he is tall, powerful and a formidable header. In this last part of the season we will evaluate if we need him, which I think we do, Castilla or both. We have to handle him well and Raúl and I will discuss what to do.”
On what he asks of Rodriguez: “I ask him for what we needed. Height in the centre because in this type of game and having Karim, who is not a usual centre forward, putting in a player of this quality was good for us. We needed to focus more because he is formidable with his head.”
On the midfield’s performance: “We wanted to control possession. Kroos played really well and the three inside players were in good shape. Ceballos was rested and I tried to introduce some freshness on the pitch. We thought Atlético didn’t press much up top and we were going to be in control.”
On Real Madrid’s overall performance: “In the first half we were in control, but we didn’t create enough chances. In the second half, when I brought more energy onto the pitch, we conceded the goal. Then we got a bit disorganised. We had time to equalise, but not to win the game.”
About Karim Benzema’s poor form: “He lacked a bit of sharpness mentally and he needed to be a bit quicker in the final third of the pitch. After the World Cup, he’s scored a lot of goals and especially big goals.”
On his options at left-back: “Camavinga has so much energy and Nacho has more experience and tactical awareness of the position.”
On Correa’s red card: “I thought it was fair”.
On the upcoming Clasico: “We’ll rest on Sunday. We’re back in training on Monday and we’ll do some tactical work on Tuesday to prepare well for the game and try to be at our best for Thursday.”
Source: Real Madrid Official website
After a month into the new season, Aurelien Tchouameni is finally back in action for Real Madrid.
The Frenchman made his first appearance of the season for the Merengues last night against Inter Milan after recovering from the muscular injury that delayed his campaign.
His return to fitness had raised questions over where he would fit into Mourinho’s plans.
Tchouameni has been a regular in Real Madrid’s midfield for several seasons under different managers, but the end of last season was far less straightforward.
His confrontation with Federico Valverde, combined with speculation over his future at the club, created uncertainty about his position. His lack of a proper pre-season also appeared to put him behind other midfield options.
Bernardo Silva had established himself as an important figure, while Eduardo Camavinga was also ahead of Tchouameni in terms of match fitness.
With Real Madrid looking for greater creativity in midfield, there were questions over whether the Frenchman would still be a first-choice player.
Key for Mourinho
According to AS (h/t Bernabeu Digital), however, Mourinho has no such doubts. Tchouameni remains a key player for the Portuguese coach and is expected to be a starter.
Mourinho sees the French international as a midfielder without a direct replacement in the squad.
For Jose, Tchouameni provides something that none of the other midfielders in the squad do – a more defensive and positional presence, combining his tactical discipline with considerable physical strength.
His ability to shield the defence and provide balance could be particularly important for a Real Madrid side that want to defend aggressively and attack quickly in transition.
For that reason, his absence at the start of the campaign has not changed the manager’s view of his importance.
Mourinho faces a midfield selection problem
The challenge for Mourinho now is finding a way to fit all the pieces together.
If Tchouameni is guaranteed a starting position and Valverde is considered untouchable as captain, the obvious consequence is that Bernardo could find himself starting from the bench.
The summer arrival had been given an important role in helping Real Madrid control and distribute possession from deeper positions.
However, with Tchouameni and Valverde both occupying midfield places, Mourinho cannot accommodate everyone in the same lineup.
How the Portuguese coach manages that competition will be interesting to see in the coming weeks.
