Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti reflected on his team’s performance following their match against Atletico Madrid.
Despite securing a place in the Champions League round of 16, he emphasised that there is still plenty of room for improvement.
He acknowledged that while the team showed better control in the second half, they need to improve both collectively as a unit and on an individual level.
"I think we can always improve, both collectively and individually. The truth is, we were better in the second half than in the first," he began saying.
Analysing the match, Ancelotti admitted that it was a tough contest, as expected, and that conceding an early goal made things even more challenging.
He pointed out that Atletico Madrid are an incredibly well-organised defensive team, making it difficult for Real Madrid to create clear scoring opportunities.
"The match was difficult, as always, made even more so by the goal we conceded. The tie was even. It’s difficult to create chances against Atlético because they’re defensively very good."
One of the key moments in the match was Julian Alvarez’s disallowed penalty. Ancelotti explained that the VAR had already detected the issue before the coaching staff could fully assess it from the sidelines.
He mentioned that upon reviewing the situation, it was clear that Julián had touched the ball twice, using his left foot unintentionally.
"I think they had already detected it. By the time we realized this doubt, the VAR had already detected it. I didn’t notice this. I saw it, and it seemed to me he was using his left foot on the second touch."
When discussing Eduardo Camavinga’s performance, the manager expressed satisfaction, stating that the French midfielder delivered one of his best displays in what was a difficult match.
He admitted that Camavinga had not been at his best in recent games but stepped up when it mattered most.
"He was at his best in the toughest match. He hadn’t been at his best in recent matches," he explained.
Ancelotti also praised the partnership between Aurelien Tchouameni and Luka Modric, noting that he substituted Tchouaméni as a precaution after the midfielder received a yellow card.
"The Tchouameni- Modric duo performed very well, and I decided to substitute Tchouameni, who had a yellow card, to avoid any risks. Camavinga played a very good match offensively and defensively."
Regarding the penalty taken by Vinicius Jr., Ancelotti clarified that the Br azilian forward was the designated taker, but unfortunately, he was unable to convert his attempt.
"It was decided that Vini would take it, but unfortunately he missed."
Later in the match, Vinícius requested to be substituted as he was feeling fatigued. “He wasn’t going to take the penalty and asked me to substitute him because he was tired.”
Speaking about Antonio Rudiger’s involvement in the penalty shootout, Ancelotti revealed that there was a moment of hesitation between choosing Endrick or Rudiger to take a crucial spot-kick.
"We were hesitant between Endrick and Rudiger. I saw Endrick’s face and we said, ‘Better Rudiger.'"
On the overall penalty shootout strategy, Ancelotti stated that they positioned their strongest takers strategically, with Kylian Mbappe taking the first penalty and Rudiger stepping up for the decisive fifth kick.
"We put on our best player for the first, Mbappe, and for the fifth, we selected Rudiger because he scored against City," he noted.
Finally, when asked about Ferland Mendy’s injury, Ancelotti admitted that the full-back could be dealing with a muscle issue.
"It could be a muscle injury, he felt a twinge in the back," he said.
Mendy reported feeling discomfort in the back of his leg, but further medical examinations would be required to determine the severity of the problem.