Madrid boss Ancelotti responds to Guardiola's schedule complaints

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti praised Rodrygo's return to scoring goals, assured that the Brazilian made "the difference" against Athletic, and acknowledged that sometimes the lack of success in finishing is due to freshness, because of the demand he places on his player in defense.

"He played very well, he made the difference. He gave us the opportunity to change the score very early on. He is a high level player with a very high quality. Now it will be said that he is better on the left, but Rodrygo is good everywhere. We should remember that he scored two goals on the right in a Champions League semi-final. As is normal in a striker, sometimes he misses and sometimes he scores," he said at a press conference.

'Carletto' was convinced that Rodrygo's goalscoring numbers will increase every season. "There are isolated cases of strikers who always score like Cristiano or Benzema. With experience, Rodrygo is going to improve this aspect. Being young, he plays with a lot of intensity and sometimes I ask him to do a lot of defensive work, which means he's not always as fresh in front of goal."

The Madrid coach celebrated the return of Militao to the pitch, absent since the first matchday when he tore his ACL in San Mames and back just before the match against Athletic.

"We are talking about one of the best defenders in the world. His return is important for us. He still needs time to adapt to playing again, but the important thing is to see him with us. In training he will improve, we will need him in the final stretch of the season. After such a long time away, it's a positive emotion for the whole team. All the players have congratulated him," he said.

 

March 31, 2024

Ancelotti does not consider the race for La Liga title to be settled, and is now focusing on the Champions League clash against Manchester City. "We only think that we have an advantage and that we have to take advantage of it by trying to win all the remaining matches. We don't have to make calculations because La Liga is still open".

"I see the schedule well, it seems to me that they (City) obviously have a more complicated one but this is modern football. In this sense we have a small advantage that is not going to influence the result of the game," he said after Guardiola complained that, while Madrid are resting because of the Copa del Rey final in Spain, City will play two more games.

It will do Madrid, who Ancelotti acknowledged lacked pace against Athletic, good for the rest, as did England's Bellingham. "He didn't have the freshness he usually has because he has played two very intense games for England and he has paid for it. The same as the rest. The players lacked intensity".