Real Madrid News
Ancelotti talks Vinicius, Rodrygo, Liverpool draw after Rayo Vallecano 3-2 Real Madrid
Real Madrid fell to their first La Liga defeat of the season to Rayo Vallecano on Monday night, which meant they remain in the second spot in the standings. The game was evenly contested for the entire 90 minutes and no side seemingly had the upper hand.
Santi Comesaña opened the scoring for the hosts in the fifth minute before Luka Modric levelled the score from the penalty spot. Real Madrid took the lead via Eder Militao four minutes from half time but Rayo struck back just three minutes later. Ultimately, Andoni Iraola’s men got the win courtesy of a penalty in the 67th minute.
Carlo Ancelotti spoke to the press after his team’s humbling at Vallecas and spoke about the defeat and the UCL draw amongst other topics. Here are the highlights of the manager’s press conference.
On what went wrong at Vallecas: “We needed to be a bit tougher. We had trouble playing out from the back. We could’ve played more direct balls forward and we lost a few individual duels. The quality was lacking a bit for us to draw the game. We had chances to score that we’d put away normally and we were a bit below par in terms of toughness.”
On whether the poor result had something to do with the nearing World Cup: “It’s not related to the World Cup. We’re heading into the break a bit stretched because we’ve played a lot of games. This is happening to every team. It’s hard to make it to the end and even more so when you play every three days. We’re not as fresh as we were before.
“In these types of games when the opposition presses you and is aggressive, you need players with fresh legs. It’s a normal thing. We’ve dropped off a bit but we’re still in the fight for everything. We’re disappointed we’re not top, but it’s a long league season. The players are focused and doing their best. Sometimes things don’t go your way.”
On the struggles of the forward line: “We lost a lot of individual battles. I’m talking about Vinicius, Rodrygo and all the rest, who normally do a good job. It was a difficult game for everyone, especially for Vini. When it’s hard to play out from the back, the forwards suffer the most. Vini was closely marked and he always is”.
On where the team fell short: “The problem in today’s game wasn’t a physical one. When I talk about winning balls and strength, I’m not talking about the physical element. Not getting the ball out from the back could be because of strategy, which perhaps wasn’t the most appropriate. We didn’t play the long ball. The manager may have failed somewhere.”
On how the team took the defeat: “We are disappointed and bothered by the defeat. The team has performed really well in this first stage of the season. We will look at what happened today. But now we have to think about our next match.
“I’m not disappointed with my players. We lacked the strength that our opponent had. We lost the head-to-head battles. Quality won’t let you win if you don’t equal your opposition’s attitude.”
On the Champions League draw: “Liverpool will say the same thing about the draw. It’ll be a very entertaining tie and a very tough one. There’ll be a great atmosphere at Anfield and also at the Bernabéu. It’ll be a spectacular tie.”
Source: Real Madrid website
As Real Madrid look to restart the campaign following the end of the international break, all focus will be on the upcoming El Clasico in Copa del Rey on April 5.
However, before they take on their arch-rivals for a fourth time this year, Real Madrid must see off the challenge from Real Valladolid in La Liga on Sunday.
Given Barcelona’s 12-point advantage at the top of the table, La Liga appears to be a lost cause for Real Madrid right now. But that is no excuse for Carlo Ancelotti’s men to appear complacent, as they look to push for a late title charge.
However, heading into this contest, three Real Madrid players proceed with caution as they are running the risk of missing out on the next league game against Villarreal due to yellow cards.
The three players in question are Eduardo Camavinga, Dani Carvajal, and Dani Ceballos. All three of these players have picked up four yellow cards in La Liga this term. Therefore, picking up another booking against Valladolid will rule them out in the next game.
Camavinga, in particular, has been a vital part of the Real Madrid squad since the turn of the year, impressing onlookers with his performances and versatility.
Carvajal, too, is a critical option at right-back and his experience could go a long way in helping Real Madrid end the league campaign on a positive note. Not to mention, the club lack the services of a reliable alternative, which has led to links with Reece James this coming summer.
Ceballos, on the other hand, has been one of the emerging stars this year. The midfielder’s performances have been excellent lately, and he would not want to lose any momentum by picking up a suspension ahead of the important Villarreal game next week.
