Ancelotti outlines the benefits of Barcelona’s camaraderie
Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed that Barcelona benefited from the friendly match and clarified the future of several players such as Marco Asensio and Dani Ceballos.
Real Madrid lost their first warm-up game, falling a goal behind to rivals Barcelona, with Rafinha beating Courtois with a long-range shot in the 27th minute, while Karim Benzema missed the encounter, which saw Robert Lewandowski’s first appearance in a Barca shirt.
The Italian coach said about the match: “The match was good, especially the first half. I tried to participate with new elements, so they fit the team, it was an even match.”
Ancelotti believes in the strength of the Real Madrid squad
He added, “I tried to give everyone minutes because of their physical condition. I like this match, we played against a very strong opponent.”
He continued: “We struggled a bit from the start, especially at the back, obviously it’s easier for us to play in midfield with Casemiro, Kroos and Modric, but I wanted to let the youngsters take over. Chances are, they played well defensively but that was it, it was the first time they played together.
In reports carried by Spanish newspaper “Marca”, Ancelotti spoke about the performance of the players during the friendly Clasico.
Real Madrid’s coach said: “Ruediger? I liked him a lot as a full-back. I’m not crazy, I know he’s not in his position, but he’s very smart. He can play in this position or switch positions. With Alaba.”
He added: “Danger? He can play in many positions and he needs to adapt to the attacking position and needs more minutes to improve his position.”
The future of Real Madrid players
On the future of Asensio and Ceballos, he said: “They don’t bother me. The competition has increased, but they are two players who work well and this is their decision.”
He continued, “We have a lot of players, the team is better than last season and the intensity of training has improved.
He added: “Borja Meyer? He’s training and if he’s fit to play, he’ll play.”
On Karim Benzema and his absence in Clasico, Ancelotti said: “Benzema will play 45 minutes against Club America and more than 30 minutes in the next match, where I will test the team playing in the European Super Cup. There is no one in the world who can replace Karim.”
When asked about Alaba, the Italian coach replied: “He only plays at left-back when he is needed. I don’t want to break the partnership of last year in our defence.”
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