Ancelotti criticizes Benzema “publicly” after Real Madrid’s draw against Atletico
Real Madrid drew 1-1 with Atletico Madrid in a difficult match that took place today, Saturday, at the Santiago Bernabeu, in the thirteenth round of La Liga.
The result is disappointing, as if Barcelona beat Almeria tomorrow, the difference will rise to 10 points in favor of Barca, which Ancelotti admitted at the press conference.
Ancelotti’s remarks after the Atletico Madrid match:
On Alvaro Rodriguez’s goal: “Alvaro showed all the quality he has in terms of play, it’s a special night for him. This may be beneficial in the short term.
And about Alvaro Rodriguez’s future with the first team: “Next season, Alvaro will be in the first team squad. Few enjoy its quality. His height is important, he handles the ball well, and he does a great header. The idea is to be with the first team. This season it can be with us and with the reserve team as well.”
About the match: “We thought we controlled the ball more, it was very good but it didn’t end in the best possible way. We could have controlled more and scored more goals.”
“In the first half, it was controlled but without real chances, it was a very slow half. When we changed the way we played, we conceded the goal. Then we played 10-15 minutes more intensely and had time to win but that’s what happened.
“We conceded the goal because we have to take into account the quality of the opponent. Griezmann was fantastic and Jimenez hit very well, and that’s what happened against them with Alvaro. When it was time to push forward and the team faltered a bit, we managed to score. It is normal that we are not at the top after the Liverpool game.”
He complained about Real Madrid’s match schedule: “17 games in 50 days is very difficult and tiring.”
And about the next match against Barcelona in the King’s Cup semi-final first leg: “The El Clasico match in the King’s Cup will be the most important thing for us, because the match will take place on Thursday and will bring us closer to the final match. The Copa del Rey is the most important thing because it is the next match and we will focus on it a lot.”
The Italian coach did not hesitate to publicly criticize his most prominent star, Karim Benzema: “It was a difficult match for Benzema, as he was mentally tired and a bit slow. We thought that with Kroos, Ceballos and Valverde, we would play more aggressively, but we did not expect Atletico to press in this way. They played a good game.”
And he continued regarding Benzema: “Benzema was not in his usual day. Reaching the last third was good for us, and for that matter, he was doing really well. After the World Cup, he scored many goals, especially the important goals, and he will definitely return to his best levels.”
The Italian ended his remarks: “Tomorrow we will rest, then we will start working on Monday and on Tuesday. On Thursday we will be at our best and we will prepare well for El Clasico.”
