El Clásico
El Clásico
A very proud and please Carlo Ancelotti started by talking about what the thinks was the most valuable thing presented by his team today:
The effort we put in, definitely. We didn't lose our heads after Barcelona's goal. We stuck with our plan and ideas and I think everything worked great. I liked a lot of things, especially because we had a very good rhythm. We recovered well from Wednesday's game and everyone played well.
On the team's good streak after those losses to Atlético de Madrid and Real Sociedad:
I've always said our defensive issues were not because of a lack of talent, but because of the lack of sacrifice and desire to run and work together. I have a very serious team, full of professional players that know what it means to play for Real Madrid and they know they have to sacrifice for the team.
Despite the early struggles, Real Madrid reacted very well especially after Neymar's goal:
They key to that reaction was to keep our idea, to keep attacking not only with counters, but also by effectively possessing the ball and attacking the sides. We scored after a good play by Marcelo on the left side and in the second half, we won the game because we wanted to win it. The first half showed we had a big chance to win it.
Isco delivered a terrific effort on the team's third goal, but Ancelotti knows he did a lot more than that:
It wasn't a surprising play, and he did a lot more than that. His work rate during the entire game was fantastic, but that also goes to the entire team. Beating Barcelona the way we did today is not easy to do. It's really hard to say who was the best player today since everyone performed at a high level. It wasn't easy to recover after Liverpool's game, but this result shows this team is in great shape.
Asked about Karim Benzema's epic performance, Carlo didn't want to praise the French striker only:
About Karim, it's what I always say. We could talk about Benzema, about Cristiano, Isco, James, Pepe, who scored our second goal. It's tough to just talk about a single player. He's as good as every other player on this team.
On the meaning of winning El Clásico:
It's a very important win because we won against a very strong team. Fortunately we were able to achieve our goal, which was to get closer to them on La Liga standings. For that, I am pleased.
On whether this is the way Carlo has been wanting the team to play:
This is the idea we've been chasing since last year. We've been trying to improve on that idea and right now things are working very well for us because the team is now used to playing this way. They're getting used to it.
Following the last question, the Italian talked about finally finding the ideal style for Real Madrid:
Like I said, our moment is very good but I'm not sure I've found that ideal style. There are tough games ahead and if we lose one of those, it doesn't mean our idea isn't working. I'm pleased right now with the way we're playing. This team can play this kind of football and I'm very proud of them because they're showing unique professionalism like I've never seen before.
On the role of Gareth Bale after James and Isco's performances and Real Madrid's superiority in the second half:
I've clearly stated that Bale is an essential player for us and when he's healthy, he will play. I don't want just 11 important players. We have more than that, and that's good for every player on the team. About Barcelona, it was a very tough game. It's not easy to pressure them. We had to fight and sacrifice the entire game, so I didn't notice that superiority. Of course we enjoyed some great chances in the end, but that's because Barcelona were focusing on attacking to try and tie the game.
On Real Madrid's intensity during the entire game (after the question included a random comment about an Italian commercial for a certain shampoo):
I think that physically, we showed great rhythm on Wednesday and we did it again today. The team is really fit, but also mentally, the team is very convinced about what they're doing.
Was Ancelotti surprised with Luis Enrique's decision to start Luis Suárez?:
No, I wasn't surprised with his choice but like I said yesterday, tactically it didn't change a thing for us. Suárez started instead of Pedro, but the position was the same.
Ancelotti, on calling this team the most professional he's ever coached:
By that, I mean it's a very focused team. A team that can think about what we're doing, that knows how to follow orders and understand the tactics we'll use, and so on. This is a very serious roster.