Ancelotti: "It's an important game because we could get to nine points" | OneFootball

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·4 October 2022

Ancelotti: "It's an important game because we could get to nine points"

Article image:Ancelotti: "It's an important game because we could get to nine points"

Carlo Ancelotti spoke in the press room at Real Madrid City the day before the matchday-two clash of the Champions League group stage against Shakhtar Donest at the Santiago Bernabéu (9pm CET). The coach had the following to say: “It’s an important game in the group and for us if we can get to nine points. We’re ready for this. We didn’t have our best game on Sunday, we want to improve and show another identity and attitude”.

“We're going to face a tough opposition. They've started this Champions League group very well and have beaten Leipzig. We have the utmost respect for them. We’ll be without Courtois. But Modrić and Lucas Vázquez are back and have been training with the team. Unfortunately, Ceballos has had a problem and he won't be in the squad. He had a problem with his hamstring in training I'm will assess him tomorrow”.


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Hazard “Every player knows their situation. Each one asks me for explanations and I have to explain it to them. Eden hasn't spoken to me because he knows what the situation is, that there are other players ahead. he has a lot of competition. Some play less than others. His situation is quite clear”.

Criticism for Benzema “Everyone has a right to their opinion. When Karim isn't at his level, there may be opinions voiced. This is normal in football. But it doesn't affect us or Karim”.

Differences between competitions “I always wanted to win the Champions League. The league is very important, but the Champions League is the most important competition in football. It means so much more to win it. Both competitions are distinct. One is a competition with 38 games and it's different to a competition with fewer games. The other is a competition with knockout games over 180 minutes. This is when the small details are very important. It's not about luck or bad luck. speaking about this may hide the problems you have or take away the credit from the other team”.

Small details “If you’d said that after the game against Osasuna we had been unlucky, because we missed the penalty it could mean two things. First, the defensive problems when winning the ball back, and second, taking away the credit from the opposition who played really well. You can control the small details with a collective commitment, good attitude, character and strong group mentality”. “In the Champions League other teams could score three goals against you in six minutes which is what happened to me in a final. If you don’t have fear or you remain calm, you can score two goals in a minute in a semi-final. You can control the small details with a very strong group mentality, not individually. Real Madrid have taken care of these details in their history. The small details defined the last Champions League. Even we were surprised by what we what were capable of doing”.

Courtois “Courtois is much better after the treatment yesterday. We're not sure about the next game against Getafe. He might be ready for the return game against Shakhtar or the Clásico”.

Playing good football “I can't give you my opinion. We have to assess what is better. Everyone has their own opinion. Playing good football depends on different things. It's not just playing with the ball, it's also defending well. Being successful means doing things well. You can't be successful if you only do one thing well especially in the Champions League. It’s more difficult to say the best team wins the Champions League”.

The future of the Champions League “This club’s history is in this competition. There's no doubt about it. It's not a coincidence that this team and this club have been extremely successful in this competition. What has happened helps us in the present and in the future”.

Camavinga “When the game starts he may have a positional problem. And when the game is more open, he feels better. It's a problem of age. He has to gain experience and know his environment. This is what he has to improve and what he's going to do. He's a player with immense quality both on the ball and without it. He lacks experience. He’s 19 years old and what's happening to him is normal”.

Shakhtar “They’re a team who have had a lot of problems in terms of training and travelling. They've started very well in the Champions League group by beating Leipzig. They have a similar style to that of last year. They’re a team who like to play football and penetrate the defence. They have fast forwards and are dangerous on the counterattack. They’re a complete team and we respect them”.

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