Real Madrid vs Granada: Carlo Ancelotti Post-Match Press Conference

Real Madrid are sitting at the top of the standings- if only for one night- thanks to goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema. Following Granada's defeat at the hands of Los Blancos, coach Carlo Ancelotti answered the press' questions on the following topics:

Gareth Bale's substitution:

"He was replaced because he had a problem. He was not comfortable after getting kicked, he had a problem with his left leg. It's not an injury, more of a nuisance and he will have no problems playing the next match."

Seventh straight clean sheet:

"The record is very good, I have to thank all the players because they are focused on recovering the ball right now. Ramos and Pepe have been perfect in 2014, but everyone has worked hard to get this record."

Luka Modric's spectacular run-of-form:

"Modric's greatest quality is his penetration with the ball. At the start of the season he showed less character, but now he is showing a lot more and his quality is also important to change the pace in attack."

Defensive contributions from the BBC:

"I don't ask for a lot defensively from the forwards, just for them to press up front to prevent the other team from building anything. Defensively, I think covering the right or left-backs is a problem for the midfielders, Di María and Modric."

Di Maria's midfield role in the 4-3-3 formation:

"He is used to playing in that position. He plays there for Argentina and feels comfortable. He works hard, defends well and has quality in attack. I'm happy with him."

Real Madrid's overall performance against Granada:

"In the first half we had problems recovering the ball up front. In the second half we pressed more and recovered the ball easier to be able to attack quicker. The most important thing is the balance that we have at the moment. That is the key and I've said so many times. We are defending well and attacking very well right now. There is always room to improve, we could play faster sometimes. But the key is the team's balance."

Real Madrid will now prepare for a Copa del Rey elimination match against Espanyol on Tuesday. For the full transcription of Carlo Ancelotti's interview, check out realmadrid.com

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