Ancelotti: “Casemiro, Kroos and Modrić are the Bermuda Triangle because the ball disappears there”

Real Madrid earned their first win of pre-season on Saturday night in Los Angeles, defeating Juventus 2-0 thanks to a Karim Benzema penalty and a Marco Asensio goal. Discussing the performance afterwards, Ancelotti said: “It was a good game and we finished the pre-season well. It has been a nice tour, with so many fans showing us love and affection at all the games. We’re now going back to Madrid to prepare for the UEFA Super Cup with motivation.”

The coach has suggested that the starting XI for that match against Eintracht Frankfurt on August 10th will be very similar, if not identical, to the one that started the Champions League final and that started this Juventus game. Asked if he is perhaps too transparent with his hints about line-ups, he replied: “There are no secrets in football. It’s not certain that those players will be the ones who play the UEFA Super Cup, as we still have over a week to go and we’ll see. Sometimes I have doubts with the line-up, because I have to evaluate everything.”

Ancelotti on the old guard vs the rising stars

Asked about the two sets of midfielders he has available to him, with the up-and-coming talents like Fede Valverde, Eduardo Camavinga and Aurélien Tchouaméni competing for minutes with Luka Modrić, Toni Kroos and Casemiro, Ancelotti stated that he is in a privileged position. He said: “I like both sets, with classic players and also rock and roll. I call Casemiro, Kroos and Modrić the Bermuda Triangle, because the ball disappears there.”

Ancelotti on Benzema’s brilliance

Benzema scored another pre-season goal against Juventus, this time from the penalty spot, as well as an offside strike inside the opening 10 seconds, and the coach praised the French striker, stating: “He’s the best. He does absolutely everything well and it’s so hard for defenders to mark him. That’s Karim.”

Ancelotti on Barcelona’s spending spree

The Real Madrid boss was asked about Barcelona’s summer of spending and if he is worried. He replied: “Nothing surprises me in football. They are putting together a fantastic team, but I’m just concerned with my team. You always have to respect Barcelona.”