After Real Madrid’s match against Atletico Madrid ended in a draw, manager Carlo Ancelotti spoke to the media. 

Ancelotti was happy with his team’s performance and emphasised that winning a point in a game this competitive was a good result in the end. 

Even though Real Madrid was on the verge of victory, he conceded that Atletico Madrid is a formidable opponent and that, despite being frustrating, a draw was a respectable outcome.

A pivotal point in the game occurred when the referee momentarily stopped play because of objects being hurled from the spectators. 

Ancelotti maintained his composure, pointing out that the referee had managed the issue skilfully by telling both teams to take a brief break in the dressing room. 

“Well done, referee. We organised a few items in the changing area. The manager, cited by Mundo Deportivo, remarked, “The referee did well, but nobody liked it because everyone wanted to play.” 

The Italian manager chose to concentrate on the significance of maintaining composure in the face of such disturbances rather than dwelling on the occurrence.

He said, “The referee told us that they had thrown lighters and that we needed to rest in the locker room.”

Angel Correa’s late goal for Atletico Madrid kept Real Madrid from winning, and Ancelotti reflected on how painful it was to concede so late, especially since his team came so close to winning three points. 

Because we came quite close to winning the match, it’s a different draw. Even if it’s unfortunate that they scored in the final seconds, you have to acknowledge how formidable the opposition is. We were close, the manager said. 

He stressed, nonetheless, that Real Madrid will keep fighting and maintaining focus, adding that drawing even with the league leaders is still a win. 

We’re not desperate; we’ll keep battling, and I believe this could be a turning point in the future. Actually, I believe that deducting a point from the leader is beneficial. We have a nice dynamic and have begun to consider the Champions League.

Observations regarding the modifications

Ancelotti defended his defensive substitutions when questioned about his tactical choices, arguing that it made sense to alter defences when leading. 

“It makes sense to defend an edge, and I don’t regret the modifications. We performed excellently, but we must acknowledge that they leaked a good ball and had a chance to score against us,” he said.

Although he gave the team credit for their overall defensive effort, he did concede that Atlético Madrid managed to go through in the closing seconds. 

He also mentioned that, with Real Madrid having learnt from last season’s derby loss, both clubs were intent on keeping possession of the ball and playing solid defence.

The contest was characterised by two teams that sought to dominate play and play strong defence. Our goal was to play better defence than we did in the derby the previous season.

A brief questioning session concerning an incident involving young striker Endrick—who opted to shoot instead of passing to a better-positioned teammate—was held with Ancelotti. 

The manager acknowledged that Endrick could have chosen differently, but he downplayed the incident and suggested it wasn’t a big deal.

“In my opinion, this play differs from the one versus Stuttgart. Although he had the option to hand the ball to Bellingham, I don’t think there was an atomic drama. 

Ancelotti also stated that Courtois felt some soreness in his muscles and would be tested to determine the full extent of his injury.

“He will be tested tomorrow after experiencing some discomfort.”

In closing, he praised Aurelien Tchouameni’s defensive effort and reiterated his belief in the young player, all the while focussing on the obstacles that Real Madrid would face going forward.

Ancelotti observed, “Tchouameni has played very well on the defensive side.”