'You have to be on the bench first to become a starter' - Ancelotti praises Guler rise

Real Madrid suffered more than expected to defeat Celta despite a 3-0 lead. Carlo Ancelotti assessed his side's performance and set his sights on next Sunday's decisive match against Barcelona.

“We have a great opportunity. We will prepare well. Sunday's match is not decisive, but almost,” he began.

On his team's match: “It seemed over, we were able to score the fourth. We made a change because Asencio couldn't take it anymore. We have to take into account that with the departure of Asencio there were six defenders missing. We did very well, but we were able to handle it better. We suffered, but it's a nice victory”.

Ancelotti praised Arda Guler after his game: “It was a natural progression of a player who wants to play for Real Madrid. He has never lost confidence. It is clear that the Guler of September is not the Guler of today. He has changed a lot, including his fitness. He maintains his quality and his progression is normal and natural as a young player at Real Madrid.”

“I have the responsibility to manage the best the squad, not the individual. Sometimes it affects some players more than others. Here we are talking about Endrick and players who are very young. The history of the club says that you have to be on the bench first to become a starter. Arda has done well, but he will do better next year. He has the profile to be a starter at the club, but he has been on the bench a lot and he has taken it well. It has not bothered him and he has progressed very well,” he continued.

On their chances against Barca: “We played a week ago and it was competitive, we were close to winning. We don't have to invent a lot of things. Our performance has to be serious, very important and we are going to plan and try. Despite everything, we can fight this match. It's a beautiful thing.

On Kylian Mbappe: "He's going to be an important player against FC Barcelona. The fact that their defensive line is high, his movements will be important and decisive. If he does that, the better it is for us”.