Carlo Ancelotti attended an online press conference at Real Madrid City on the day before his team's LaLiga matchday 25 encounter with Alavés at the Santiago Bernabéu (Saturday, 9:00pm CET). Real Madrid is trying to keep the distance with the followers in La Liga as the 2nd phase of the season unfolds and the legs feel more and more the fatigue.
After the exhausting loss on Tuesday Madridistas will surely need to get the three points vs Alaves with as little energy spending as possible, but in front of them will be a team that is having quite a good spell... It will surely be not an easy match as the coach also explains. However, a victory would help the team get back to a good mental shape and would of course keep them in the 1st place with a decent distance from the followers.
He said: "We'll be up against a team who are enjoying a good spell of form and have great pace and a solid identity. It's an odd time for us because we're coming off the back of a painful defeat and we're aware that we didn't perform well. Now we have to focus on this game because it's a crucial moment in LaLiga. We're out in front and we want to maintain that advantage".
"I have a highly competitive squad but the club and I are thinking about the future and you have to try and improve every year. That's what we'll try and do next year. Now I have a well prepared squad that is ready to go. Everyone is in good shape and I'll try and do the best I can to pick the right players for each game", the boss added.
Lacking goals: “We're assessing that issue and we have to be more clinical but we're getting back our main striker in Karim, who has scored a lot of goals and set up several too. He was touch-and-go for PSG but he's fine now and he'll help us in this regard".
The squad: "I have a full squad available and that's a great sign going into the final stretch of the season. If everyone is ready to play, I have to pick and eleven. The key thing is to have everyone in good shape, then I have the difficult task of picking the best and I try to do that as well as I can".
The Champions League game: "We have to be honest, we didn't play very well against PSG. We usually play the ball out from the back brilliantly but we had a poor night. We have to improve but I'm not too concerned because I know the quality these players have and the personality to come through this. They're small things that will get us back to performing better".
Criticism: "The criticism going around at the moment is justified because we played poorly in Paris. I'm the greatest critic. The approach wasn't right and I take responsibility for that. Criticism must be justified, understood and you have to learn from it. Often, they are fair and they make me reflect, though sometimes it's just silly things. Criticism is great, at times it's very welcome".
“I have spoken to the president, and other executives, they feel the same as we do, it's a painful one. I think we're honest, we didn't give a good account of ourselves and that's what hurts the most. The result not the main concern because we can turn it around. A 1-0 isn't too bad, that's the best thing to come out of the game".
Pressing high: “This is something we've been discussing as a coaching staff. We're working on it and we have to press better so that we win the ball back higher up the pitch than we have been doing recently. We've had some good results with a low block and perhaps we've forgotten how to press high. We'll try and get back to it in the coming games".
Vini Jr.: "He's having the same problem as the team in general, our level has dropped. He had a very intense January. Over the next three weeks we have less games and he'll rediscover his form".
Morale following the Champions League: “Wednesday was a very difficult day, yesterday was better, today I have faith and tomorrow we're going to win the game".
Cards for Mendy and Casemiro against PSG: "I didn't feel as though either of the cards were clear yellows but it's happened now and I spoke to Orsato. He thought they were fair and we move on".
Winning the Champions League: “We have never said we're capable of winning the European Cup but we always say we'll compete. We competed despite playing very poorly against one of the best sides in it and we'll compete again in the next match”.
Mbappé: “He caused us all sorts of problems and now we've got three weeks to think about how to stop him in the return leg”.
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