Carlo Ancelotti, the coach of Real Madrid, analyzed the victory of the Whites against Rayo Vallecano in a match in which Real Madrid played a very good first half in which they could have sealed the match, but slowed down in the second half and could have thrown away the advantage due to a lack of intensity.
Carlo Ancelotti acknowledges that the team “dropped off” in the second half, but is happy with the team’s performance. He said that the first 45 minutes were very good, where the team could have sealed the game. However, in the second half it was more even and they decided to protect the result.
“The important thing was to get points, we had a very good first half. The second half got complicated”.
Ancelotti: “We had to defend”
He acknowledges that the team slumped in the second half and given the result of the match, he prioritized defense over attack, something that the fans did not like. “We defended well, we had to defend, I understand that the fans did not like it”. And the fact is that, halfway through the second half, whistles began to be heard in the Santiago Bernabéu stadium, as the fans were not happy with what they were seeing, and they showed their discontent at the fear of losing the advantage in the match.
In this sense, it was surprising that he substituted Rodrygo and Kylian Mbappé when the game was still far from the final whistle, but Ancelotti is clear about it. “When I think I have to defend, I take off the strikers”.
He insists on how complicated the game is with such a tight schedule. “It’s difficult to prepare for these games against teams that are doing well like Rayo”.
Mbappe and Vinicius have been in the spotlight in recent weeks. Both have underperformed and there have been many critical voices against the players. However, both scored today and were therefore decisive in the victory against Rayo Vallecano. He emphasizes that both are in good form. “Vinicius and Mbappé have done very well”.
Modric and Bellingham, ready for Atlético
Luka Modric was one of the stars of the match. He took control of the midfield, dictating the play as he saw fit, making the right decisions at all times and making hardly any mistakes. However, the player played the full 90 minutes, which suggests he will be a substitute. However, the Italian coach does not rule out starting him. “Modric finished the game well,” so he hopes he’ll be at his best for Wednesday’s game
Another scare in the game came from English footballer Jude Bellingham, who was substituted in the final stages and was seen with ice on the bench with clear signs of pain. The alarms went off but Ancelotti took charge of turning them off. “Bellingham has had a knock, but nothing serious”.
Real Madrid lie at the top of the table level on points with Barcelona, albeit with a game in hand. Ancelotti’s team has little time to savour these important three points against Rayo Vallecano, as next Wednesday they will face Atlético de Madrid in the second leg of the Champions League, where Real Madrid will visit the Metropolitano after winning the first leg by two goals to one.