Carlo Ancelotti spoke in the press room at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium and gave his thoughts on the win against Betis in matchday four of LaLiga: “We’re not anxious or frustrated. We’re very excited and motivated to try to do better. We deserved to win today and we played better and with more cohesion between everyone. We got the three points and we’re going into the break feeling good. It’s a happy day as we’ve taken a step forward in terms of what we want to do and what we want to be. We have to work hard, but we’ve got all the tools we need to do well”.
“I had a good feeling in the first half, although we were a bit slower on the ball, but we defended well and the team stayed in the game. We got into a better rhythm in the second half, like we normally do. We put in a good performance in the second half. We’re not at our best, that will come gradually”.
Mbappe
“He’s never been put under pressure to score goals. He had a good game, like everyone else, and was very good in the box. Everyone worked well and Vini Jr. got the penalty for him. He was very unselfish and both of them, along with Rodrygohave a good relationship. Scoring is important for Mbappebut we assess the team’s work as a whole, which was better than in the last game”.
Defensive support from the three forwards
“Vini Jr. and Rodrygo are not new in this respect. We won the Champions League in 2022 with Rodrygo working and they will do well, without sweating. We look for chances in transition with the low block with three forwards who are very quick”.
The system of play
“We’ve tried to play with Vini Jr and Rodrygo out wide. Sometimes they come in when the full-backs go up. It worked fairly well. We’re much more solid defensively, with the three of them in the middle”.
What is the team lacking?
“We need to be more consistent. We sometimes lose our position and we can’t afford to give the ball away unnecessarily. The unit has always been and will always be the key to success, the last problem is scoring goals”.
Covering for Bellingham’s absence
“The three midfielders give us more solidity on the inside and the opposition are forcing play on the outside and that’s easier for us to control. It’s a system that we can sometimes do, like the 4-4-2”.
The introduction of Brahim and Fran García
“I don’t think I would label a player as a substitute. They are two good players who always contribute to the team no matter how many minutes they get. They were very well prepared because they brought a lot more energy to the team”.
Praise for Tchouameni
“He has demonstrated all his strengths. He’s a fantastic young defensive midfielder, who will gradually learn how to play just the right amount of time on the ball. He’s irreplaceable defensively because he helps a lot at the back. We’ve kept a clean sheet and his job was to work with the defenders, who did a great job”.
The international break
“It’s never a good thing because players have to go away, especially those who are travelling to South America, and it will be difficult for them to come back properly. The only thing I would ask for is that they don’t pick up any injuries because that’s the biggest danger. Otherwise, they’re quite used to playing all the time”.
