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Real Madrid played much better than city rivals Atlético during the 3-0 win at the Bernabéu. But one thing made the difference for Ancelotti's team in comparison to the 0-1 defeat they suffered last September. While Simeone's Atleti always played harder, this time Pepe, Ramos, Arbeloa and company stood up to the challenge and minimize Diego Costa's impact and presence.
And according to Carlo Ancelotti, that 0-1 was a big factor to hurt the players' pride and increase the intensity. Watch him answering our question during Wednesday's press conference -remember to activate English CC-.
The truth is that 0-1 loss was very painful for the fans and the players. The team was never in control of the game and never had a good scoring chance against an Atleti squad that did not struggle. It was encouraging to see the players stepping up and proving that they also know how to compete and be tough. One can only hope to see this kind of attitude in the next games as well.
