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Transcript: Carlo Ancelotti’s Post-Match Press Conference Following Real Madrid’s Derby Draw

Carlo Ancelotti spoke to the media after Real Madrid's 1-1 draw with Atletico Madrid.
Apratim Banerjee|
IMAGO / DeFodi Images

Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid played out a 1-1 draw in the derby on February 8. Julian Alvarez gave the visitors the lead at the Santiago Bernabeu with his 35th-minute penalty.

Kylian Mbappe equalized for Los Blancos in the 50th minute. The draw means Los Blancos keep up a one-point lead over second-placed Atleti atop the league table.

MORE: Real Madrid Captain Lucas Vazquez Not Satisfied With 1-1 Draw In The Madrid Derby

Carlo Ancelotti's side has 50 points from 23 matches. The Italian manager spoke to the media after the game; read on to find out what he said (via Real Madrid).

Q: On refereeing and whether the team deserved more

Ancelotti: I don't want to talk about the referee. We deserved more, especially in the second half. We were in control, and we got into the game a lot. The penalty affected the team in a slower and less aggressive first half compared to the second. However, we came out with a good feeling. In the second half, Vinicius and Rodrygo played more on the outside and created a lot of dangerous situations. The VAR called the penalty. The referee was very close to the action and saw what happened very well. I saw a similar penalty in Athletic v Girona. People in football don't understand this.

Q: His analysis of the derby

Ancelotti: I don’t want to get into a controversy. The match was close and competitive, like all derbies. We came away with a draw, but we are encouraged because the team was good in the second half.

Q: On the team's commitment

Ancelotti: The team has been good in terms of commitment. Everyone has sacrificed, fought, struggled and recovered in a match that was difficult. When Atlético had the advantage, they played their game defending and counterattacking. They are very dangerous there, but we handled it well. At the back, the two center-backs played a great game. We recovered after the penalty and were very close to winning the game.

Q: On his team's goal

Ancelotti: The idea was to play on the outside in the first half. With the block low, Vinicius went inside to play a pass behind the defense. Then, we were patient and played on the outside. The goal we scored was a ball from Rodrygo that was placed into the area, and Mbappé put it in.

KYlian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr celebrate
IMAGO / CordonPress

Q: Thoughts on the league after the derby

Ancelotti: We wanted to give the pitch some space with the wingers on the outside. In the second half, it worked well. The team is disappointed because it thought it deserved to win and we were very close. We are still leaders in a very competitive league. It has been a very intense week but we will be, calm until Tuesday.

Q: On Dani Ceballos

Ancelotti: Ceballos played very well, as usual. He contributed to the team, as did Valverde . The full-backs and center-backs were also excellent. For Tuesday’s game we have to see how well those who played recover. Those who didn’t play today have an advantage to play on Tuesday.

Q: On his team's playing system

Ancelotti: This formation could be useful. We changed defensively because we played two lines of four with Bellingham more on the outside, and it worked out quite well. Apart from the two or three counterattacks after the penalty, both lines did well. Mbappé and Vinicius made an effort to be closer to the team. It was a good match in terms of the commitment of the players.

Q: On the league's competitiveness

Ancelotti: Everyone has their opinion. It will be a competitive League until the end. We are happy despite the difficulties we have. Before the match, I saw an image in which Carvajal, Alaba, Militão, and Rüdiger greeted their teammates before going out onto the field... Despite the difficulties, we are doing very well.

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Apratim Banerjee
APRATIM BANERJEE

Apratim is an experienced sports journalist having covered European and World Football, Combat Sports, Olympic Sports, and more for online media publications like Sportskeeda, EssentiallySports, and more. He is currently an MSc. in Sport Marketing student at Loughborough University, London.

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