Carlo Ancelotti spoke in the press room at the Santiago Bernabéu and the coach analysed the Real Madrid– Osasuna game, on matchday 13 of LaLiga: “It was a good match. We started off in control, without too much of a rush, and when we opened the scoring through Viniciusthe match went well. The team put in a good performance, with more attitude and commitment. The problem is the three injuries in the first half, which we are now assessing.”
“The team’s attitude improved defensively, we were organised, without taking risks and showing good collective commitment. That’s what made the difference in the match.”
The hug with Vini Jr.
“For us, Vinicius is a player who can make the difference. He did that again today as he’s done on other occasions. The Ballon d’Or ceremony is a small detail that hasn’t affected him. Many times they come over to the bench to celebrate. Vinicius is a player who makes and will continue to make a difference. He’s a very important player for us.”
Asencio’s debut
“Raúl played very well, showed great personality and provided the assist for the second goal. It was a nice surprise and we have to be appreciative of the work they have done with him in the youth system, especially Raúl at Castilla. He’s a player we need at the moment.”
Academy players
“We’re assessing the right-backs like Forte, Loren and Melvin. They’re players who aren’t ready yet, but they can be part of the team as Raúl (Asencio) was today. Unfortunately, the central defenders like Jacob and Joan Martinez are injured. Raúl has done very well with Castilla and now he’ll be with us.”
The demands of the fixture list
“Three injuries in the first half is quite unusual. The demanding fixture schedule doesn’t allow the players to rest and be fresh. The risk of injury is higher. It’s a general thing, not just for us.”
Bellingham’s goal
“It’s good for him to score this goal, but it’s a small part of a good defensive and offensive performance. He also had quality, ideas and perseverance.”
Mbappé
“He gave it a go today, he made some good link-up play. He hasn’t scored in the last few games but sooner or later he will score. Today, Vinicius and Bellingham scored, but in the next game it could be him.”
Winter transfer window
“We’ll assess that in the coming months because there’s nothing we can do now. We have to try to recover as many players as possible and we’ll assess what we can do. I’m not thinking about the transfer market because we have games between now and the Christmas break. I have to prepare the games with the players I have. Valverde played at full-back today and he did well. Raúl also helped the team. This is what we have. We did well last year and we’ll do the same this year.”
