Laid back, despite the surroundings. Ancelotti took the floor and did not hide what to win The league It has already gone from difficult to utopian. “It was already very difficult before this game, so now… more”, he confessed in the mixed zone. Answering the questions, among which she took the opportunity to congratulate Álvaro Rodríguez (and confirm that next season he will be a first team player) and emphasize that the rotations today, they were not for having in mind the Cup tie (this Sunday, against Barça). About the controversy Correa’s expulsionbrief: “Yes, it’s fair”.
Press conference
Is LaLiga over? “It is not goodbye, but now it is even more complicated than it was before. We have to fight until the end… and see what happens”.
What a great match by Álvaro Rodríguez, key. How do you analyze it? “He has shown all his quality in the little he has played. It is a special night for him. We think it can be useful in this part of the season.”
Is Álvaro Rodríguez a potential first-team player next season? “Next season he will be in the first team, because he has a quality that few others have. His age, an important height, he is powerful, he handles the ball well and goes formidable with his head. In this last stretch of the season we will assess whether we need it, which I think we do, or Castilla. I think you can combine them. We are going to handle it well with Raúl. I will talk with him”.
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What have you asked Álvaro Rodríguez? “Provide height in the area. In this type of match, what you need is that: focus more… and he was formidable up front”.
It has been surprising that neither Camavinga nor Tchouameni will play and that Kroos is 5. Because? “The approach was to have control and Kroos had a very good game. I was looking for freshness, so I put Toni on because we thought Atlético wouldn’t push too much up front and he could be in control. So it was. In the first half we controlled well, although we didn’t have many chances… but then we were out of position for 10-15 minutes and we conceded. From then on, he gave us time to tie, but not to win”.
Has the fatigue of Anfield been paid? “We fit in because the opponents also have enormous quality; with a fantastic pitcher like Griezmann and a spectacular header. The goal hurt emotionally. I don’t think it was a matter of physical fatigue, but of mental freshness. It is normal, because it was the 17th game, since December 30, in 50 days.
Just Red to Correa? “Yes, fair.”
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Do you now give more importance to the Cup than to LaLiga? “Now the Cup is the most important thing, because we are close to a title. 270 minutes. If we do well, we can win it.”
How do you see Benzema? “Today has been a difficult match for him. In general, we lacked a bit of mental freshness and got to the last third faster. In this stretch of the season he is doing very well. After the World Cup he has scored a lot… and important goals”.
mixed zone
Is LaLiga lost? “It was already very difficult before this match, well now… more. We are going to fight until the end, that’s what I can say.”
What do you think of the night of the ‘Bull’? “It has been very important to him. A young man with an enormous illusion of playing for Real Madrid. This will be a special night in the life of him”.
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Why has it cost so much to attack? Shoot? “We lacked a bit of freshness. But more than physical, mental. After the 0-1, it took us 10 minutes to compose ourselves, reposition ourselves. In the first part there was a lack of intensity and in the second, we touched it at the end, but we didn’t fully take advantage of the numerical superiority”.
Did you rotate for the Cup? “No. I made changes to look for more energy, nothing more. I was thinking about today.”