As always after the game Carlo Ancelotti and the players spoke to the press at the RB Arena following the team's Champions League Group Stage matchday 5 encounter. Real Madrid suffered the first defeat of the season as they faced a very tough Leipzig on Tuesday night. Madridistas conceded three goals and found it difficult to keep the same rhythm with the opponent, even why the chances to score and equalize were not absent. Besides the Boss, there were also Courtois, Vasquez and Camavinga who expressed their opinions.
The Italian coach told the media: "We found the game difficult because they really played on their strongest attribute, the counter-attack. We struggled to get into the game but we did so. We did our best to level it up and we came pretty close”. I didn't see a lack of intensity or attitude. We were bound to lose a game sooner or later. It's a defeat that hurts, but perhaps less than others because we have another chance to finish top of the group".
Things to improve on: “You learn more from a defeat than from ten straight wins. We'll focus on the things we didn't do very well. We didn't defend set-pieces very well, that's where we conceded two goals. We're generally much better but these things happen. We didn't deliver the performance we hoped for. It was best to sit with a low block and hit them on the counter but it went exactly opposite to how we'd planned. We conceded twice and we should have played it differently".
Risks: “We had players out, but those who played, did well. The mistake came at the beginning of the game. They played at will. They defended well, looked to hit us on the counter-attack and that’s where they’re really fast. We had chances and had a foothold in the game until they made it 3-1. You have to take risks if you want to come back and we took them, but it didn’t work out well. I have no complaints. The players who stayed at home couldn’t play and those who were involved today haven’t had much game time. I didn’t change the team too much”
Courtois analysed the clash as follows: “We got off to a slow start. We weren’t aggressive enough and lacked intensity, and if you do that against a side like Leipzig you pay the price. They’re such a dangerous side on the counter-attack, with the speed they have. The coach told us they’d scored a lot of goals at home in recent games and you can’t let them score from two corner kicks. The game got complicated, we tried to keep going and we made it 2-1 before the break. But when they scored the third in the final minutes they killed us off”.
“We misplaced a lot of passes and miscontrolled balls, it wasn’t a good game. We have to wake up. You can have a bad day. We’ve played a lot of consecutive games in a short space of time, but what there can’t be is a lack of intensity, even though we’re tired. You have to give 100% at every moment”, he added.
Defense “If we’d been a bit more clinical we could’ve created more danger and even won the game. When the score was at 2-1 before the break, we were back in the game, but we didn’t defend well and when the winger runs down the wing, the defence has to come out and not wait. We were never fully in the game and as a goalkeeper you can tell that from the back. We didn’t win many duels today, we defended poorly and lacked intensity”.
Lucas Vasquez had the following to say: “We conceded two goals from two set-pieces. They made the game tough for us, but the team dug in and the goal just before the break spurred us on. In the second half we came out eager to level it up but then on 80 minutes they made it 3-1 and it was impossible from there. They’re a really good side and know they bring real intensity at home in the opening half-hour. This is the Champions League and the best teams are here, they’re proving that”.
Team performance: “The team never lost sight of the game at any stage. We tried to play our football, create chances and help each other out in an attempt to come back. Now we have to analyse the mistakes we made in the game”.
A few thoughts from Camavinga: “It was a tough game, Leipzig play with real intensity. We have to learn from what happened today and keep going as we have been. The highest level is about attitude and if we don’t show it, we lose games like we have today”.
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