As always, Carlo Ancelotti stayed after the match to talk about the performance of the squad. He seemed positive and calm in front of the media in the press room at the Benito Villamarín. The Italian coach praised the players and highlighted the fact that the team’s second half was better than the first since after the break the players entered the field with more concentration and started to put more pressure on the opponent.
He said: "We controlled the game pretty well but there was a lack of defensive intensity in the first half. In the second we did a good job because we won the ball back more often with the press and we showed more intensity".
"In the first half the game was under control but we could have played with increased intensity. There are many things we need to improve on but things look positive so far. We had an unusual pre-season because so many players came back late but I'm fairly pleased. In the early the stages the team were quite direct but we have to show better intensity from a defensive perspective", he added.
The boss claimed that Benzema was a key player for the victory even why his work may have been unnoticed since he did not score. He told the media that the Frenchman was the one who made the difference: "The game was more evenly matched in the first half than it was in the second. Benzema struggled there because he had to drop very deep but ultimately he made the difference, as ever. He produced a fantastic assist for Carvajal and we won the game".
The Real Madrid boss was content overall with the win, while seeing room for improvement in the performance. By his own admission it wasn't a vintage performance, but to come away from the Benito Villamarin with three points is worth celebrating. "It was a difficult game, in the second half we controlled it better, we improved in everything: passes, pressure...our play wasn't spectacular, but we kept a clean sheet, which was important," Ancelotti said.
About the international break and its effect on the team: "There have always been international games but this break means players will arrive on Saturday morning and I don't think they can possibly play that evening. I hope that can be sorted out because it's not just an issue for us, but for many clubs. We don't have time to put the best team out".
Ancelotti also spoke about David Alaba. He has been very pleased with the Austrian’s performances so far and considers him one of the most important players because he adapted very quickly and also because he can cover different positions and roles. However, Ancelotti feels that the centre of the defense is the position that needs to be covered by Alaba the most: "I think there's more chance of him playing as a centre-back than a full-back for me".
At the end the coach spoke about Kylian Mbappe as well. Mbappe is certainly a hot topic but Carletto seems to be wanting some tranquility for his team at the moment by leaving the other topics to the media and the club. He answered: "We should stick to talking about the game because the rest is a matter for the club, who are working on it and I don't know the details at this stage".
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