Real Madrid News
Ancelotti talks Benzema, Camavinga, Asensio after Real Madrid 2-0 Celta Vigo
Real Madrid put two goals past Celta Vigo late on Saturday night to close the gap with Barcelona to just eight points in the league standings. It was far from one-way traffic at Santiago Bernabeu, but a comprehensive and solid performance helped them maintain a clean sheet.
Marco Asensio and Eder Militao were on the scoresheet on the night, scoring on either side of the mid-game interval. Of them, the former was the man of the match with a goal and an assist.
Carlo Ancelotti spoke to the media after his team’s win over the Galicians. Here are the snippets from his press conference.
The Italian tactician broke the ice with a summary of the ninety minutes at Santiago Bernabeu, the performance of his players and the intentions behind his substitutions.
“I was very pleased with the team’s attitude. We controlled the game well. The team look good out there and we were able to rest the players with the most fatigue.”
“I made the changes to slow the game down a bit because the team was doing well and all the players are feeling good. Asensio and Camavinga partcicularly stood out.”
Ahead of the clash against the Galicians, the manager lashed out at the rigorous schedule, his placers had to face with little to no rest. Elaborating further on the topic, he addressed prophylaxis and how he could avoid injuries on the team.
“We have to manage the next games adequately and I have every confidence in the squad. We can handle the rotations very well because the attitude of the team is positive and that’s the most important thing for these games, even more so when you get home at six o’clock on a Wednesday morning and play on Saturday. The team is very strong mentally.”
Los Blancos have not conceded a goal in the past four games and the manager had only praise for his mean’s defensive resilience.
“I’m very pleased that we haven’t conceded a goal in the last four games. It’s a biproduct of collective health and commitment. When there is good defensive commitment and you have such quality up front, you’re always going to score goals.”
The coach took out a moment to specially throw out praise for his young stars of the team who incessantly punch above their own weight and produce displays at the highest level.
“I can see that we have young players with extraordinary energy. As modern footballers generally do. Tchouameni, Camavinga, Valverde, Vini Jr. and Rodrygo have the energy of a modern player.”
Eduardo Camavinga was one of the standout performers of the night, starting at left-back and producing a clearance, a blocked shot, six tackles, two interceptions and a last-man tackle in addition to 12 duels won. Speaking about the French protege, Ancelotti said,
“He’s a player with extraordinary quality in all aspects: physical, technical and tactically, where he’s improving. He can play in any position on the pitch. He could play as a central midfielder and in the number 10 role. He’s a special player with great attributes”.
Renovation at the Santiago Bernabeu has not been without its effect on Real Madrid’s games and the state of the pitch. The manager commented on the impact of the work and the steps being taken to minimize the same.
“The construction work affects the turf and that’s why it has been changed periodically and will be replaced regularly. This isn’t anything new or surprising. Work is being done on it and before the Manchester City game it will be replaced. Obviously, it’s being damaged quite quickly due to the works.”
The Italian manager then shared his thoughts on the upcoming UEFA Champions League semifinal between Real Madrid and Manchester City.
“It’s going to be a fantastic match between the best teams in Europe. It’ll be good for football and it won’t be a battle between players but between two teams fighting to reach the final.”
Earlier in the week, reports stated that Karim Benzema was willing to go all out to overtake Robert Lewandowski in the race for the Pichichi. However, the coach denied knowledge of anything of that sort.
“I don’t know what Karim thinks. I guess he’s thinking about winning, not about the pichichi. I’m not interested in that. I just want us to win games. He’s doing well and when he does well, he’s an important player.”
Finally, Ancelotti praised Nacho Fernandez for his performance, versatility and quality on the field which helped him cover multiple positions as per the need.
“He’s an out and out centre-back. He’s a pessimistic defender and can also do a fine job as full-back on either side.”
Source: Real Madrid website
Real Madrid set out on a mission to change the minds of Dani Ceballos, Marco Asensio and Nacho Fernandez earlier this week. After all, all three players were contemplating a departure from the club for a gross lack of minutes.
Los Blancos’ latest approach seems to have impacted Ceballos’ position in a positive fashion. However, Fabrizio Romano reveals that it has not changed Marco Asensio’s mind.
According to the Italian journalist, the Spaniard will leave Real Madrid at the end of the season as a free agent.
Of the numerous options on his table, he sees Aston Villa and PSG to be the best bets. In fact, Villa have already submitted their opening bid for the player as revealed by Fabrizio Romano once again.
After a dramatic final day of action in the Premier League, Aston Villa finished in the European spots and will participate in the UEFA Conference League next season. While a move to the English club would be a steep step down, it will see Asensio receive regular playing time.
Paris-Saint Germain, on that front, appears the more probable destination. The French club are close to losing both Lionel Messi and Neymar Jr ahead of the new season, and Asensio would thus fit in as a starting quality winger. Moreover, they offer Champions League football.
The Spaniard’s role at Real Madrid this season has not been minor by any means considering his contributions. In 30 La Liga appearances, the 27-year-old has scored nine goals and provided six assists in addition to creating nine big chances and averaging 1.4 key passes per game.
However, that does not satisfy the winger who wishes to be a starter week in and week out. His departure in June appears to be now written in stone, and the club should feel hard done to not make a penny of his move.
Many in Los Blancos’ administration see Brahim Diaz as a direct replacement for the Spanish international if he leaves. Needless to say, the AC Milan star’s future will closely depend on Asensio’s situation.
