Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti faced the media following his team’s 3-0 victory over the modest Brest side in the Champions League. While many remain unsatisfied with Madrid’s performance, Carletto sees things differently.
The eighth and final matchday of the group stage in the new Champions League format took place this Wednesday across the Old Continent. Already qualified for the play-offs, Real Madrid were eager to win and hoped to secure a place in the Top 8, which would grant them direct qualification to the Round of 16. Unfortunately, despite their 3-0 victory, Ancelotti and his men will have to face either Celtic or Manchester City in the play-offs in February. After the match at the Roudourou, where Rodrygo Goes put on a stellar performance, the Madrid coach expressed his satisfaction.
Ancelotti’s worrying analysis
While the Brest players lamented a scoreline that did not reflect the match, given their strong performance and numerous missed chances against Los Merengues, Carlo Ancelotti insisted his team played well. Despite the significant gap between the two sides in terms of experience and quality, the Real Madrid coach does not believe that Brest, who registered more corners (4 vs 3), more shots (23 vs 14), and committed fewer fouls, truly troubled his team.
“It was a good match. Today, we played well, and we were solid and serious. We are happy and pleased. It’s a shame we didn’t wake up earlier in the competition. We are happy to be at this level now,” Ancelotti initially stated. Despite Real Madrid’s defensive struggles, with the team far from dominant, the Italian manager has a different perspective. “We were good defensively and offensively. We are in a good moment and have good feelings. We want to keep going this way. Today, we played well—there is no doubt about it,” Ancelotti told the media.
Can Real Madrid go far with this form?
Today, the question is worth asking. Now entering the knockout phase, Carlo Ancelotti’s team will face much tougher opponents. Having already lost to Lille, AC Milan, and Liverpool in the Champions League this season, Real Madrid will take on either Celtic Glasgow or Manchester City in the play-offs, set to begin in two weeks. While the attack remains prolific, with strong performances from Rodrygo Goes, Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappé, and the soon-to-return-from-suspension Vinícius Júnior, the defence remains a major concern.
In all their big matches this season, Madrid’s defence has struggled. Against Brest, it took six crucial saves from Thibaut Courtois to keep a clean sheet, in addition to a disallowed goal for a marginal offside by the French side. At this rate, and with Ancelotti seemingly hiding behind his team’s misleading victory, things could take a turn for the worse against a side like City in the play-offs.
When asked about his preferred opponent for the play-offs, Carlo Ancelotti made it clear that he would rather not face Pep Guardiola’s Citizens. “We have to wait for the draw. If it’s City, it will be tough for both teams, but we must wait for the draw. City have a better chance of winning the Champions League than Celtic due to their structure and quality. We don’t like playing against them, but if we have to, we will, just as we have done in previous years.”
In any case, all eyes are on this Friday’s draw for the play-offs.
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