In a press conference following his team’s fine performance against Borussia Dortmund at the Santiago Bernabéu, Carlo Ancelotti had this to say about Vinicius Junior and his team.
What another match Real Madrid have just pulled off! At home to Nuri Sahin’s Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday, on the third day of the knockout stages of the new Champions League format, Real Madrid put in an extraordinary performance, especially in the second half. Completely out of sorts in the first half, conceding two goals against the Borussen side (2-0 at half-time), Carlo Ancelotti’s men turned the game around in the second half.
Ancelotti already puts Vinicius in the running for the Ballon d’Or 2025
After Rudiger had pulled a goal back, Vinicius Junior struck three times, not counting an important goal from Lucas Vazquez, to complete the scoring (5-2) in a Santiago Bernabéu that was on fire. While Vinicius Junior expressed his delight after the match, Carlo Ancelotti told a press conference that his star striker, who is more than ever on course to win the Ballon d’Or 2024 next Monday, has just put himself in contention for the Ballon d’Or 2025.
“I think Vinicius will win the Ballon d’Or but not because of what he did tonight. He helped us win the Champions League last season. These goals are for the next Ballon d’Or,” the Madrid coach began by telling the media, before turning his attention to his players’ performances.
“What counts is the attitude of the players”
While he indicated that his players were too passive in the first half, hence the debacle, Carlo Ancelotti confided everything that changed at half-time. “The players were too timid in the first half. We can play with more energy and take more risks. We need to press more. We changed our system in the second half and we played the best half of the season,” said the 65-year-old coach.
While the players’ set-up was criticised in the first half, Ancelotti insists that the key to winning was the way the players behaved: “4-3-3? The system is not the most important thing. What counts is the attitude of the players. Our pace and intensity were very high in the second half. The game changed when we scored the first goal.” After this fine victory, which will do the players’ morale a world of good, Carlo Ancelotti remains convinced that the trigger for a phenomenal season could begin after this resounding victory.
We look forward to Saturday’s clásico against Barcelona to see how the Merengues will fare, who can count on the unstoppable Vinicius Junior and possibly Kylian Mbappé, who is waiting for the big occasions to strike a blow.
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