New Delhi: In his post-match news conference, Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti praised his squad and their performance after the team’s 3-2 Champions League victory over Atalanta on Tuesday night. He said that It was a complicated match, but an important victory. He further claimed that the players displayed their best selves—suffering, battling, and contending. They got off to a fantastic start, and the strikers played well and had a lot of movement.
Ancelotti also put emphasis on how difficult it is to win against a team like Atalanta, but everything proceeded smoothly. Real managed to go in front, on two occasions, as the game progressed and despite the fact that Atlanta produced a great performance against the 15-time champions, they just couldn’t get the job done. It was a major scare for the Spanish giants though, as Gian Piere Gasperini’s side hung on till the very end.
Atalanta pushed Real off limits
An important win for Real Madrid in Italy ⚪#UCL pic.twitter.com/C219KIBhha
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) December 10, 2024
From the start, the game was open and thrilling. After a deft ball from Brahim Diaz, Kylian Mbappe put Madrid ahead, but just before halftime, De Ketelaere equalized with a penalty after Tchouameni committed a careless foul. However, Mbappe’s ankle injury, which appeared to be merely a precaution, was Madrid’s main concern as he left the field.
After another great move from Brahim, Vinicius put Madrid ahead in the second half, making it even more thrilling. Vinicius finished easily after the Moroccan’s planned pass was taken out but pinballed and dropped perfectly. Two minutes later, Vinicius’ clipped long pass played Bellingham in behind, increasing the lead. The Englishman curved his shoulder into the bottom corner after dropping it twice to make place for himself.
The action didn’t stop there, though, as Atalanta managed to hold on and score in the 65th minute after a brilliant move by Lookman, who tucked the ball past Courtois at the near post. In the last minutes, Atalanta attempted to equalize and nearly succeeded when Lookman gave Retegui a last-second opportunity, but the striker missed the mark.
When Carlo Ancelotti was asked about Atalant’s performance and how they managed to push Real off the limits, he said – “Yes, a little bit. But they push a lot and force you to commit losses. The team had the courage to press high, we are very happy. It was a victory not only for the three points, but also for the spirit.”
🚨⚪️ Carlo Ancelotti: “Kylian Mbappe’s injury does not look serious”.
“It’s an overload”. pic.twitter.com/WfB91W88RQ
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) December 10, 2024
Furthermore, he also had some comments to make about Mbappe’s injury, as he stated that the French superstar was experiencing discomfort in his groin. In the coming days, the staff and the medics will have a look at it although it doesn’t appear like a serious injury and he had to halt because he was unable to run. “It was bothering him a little bit. So we decided to change him,” is what the Italian had to say.
Carlo Ancelotti spoke to the media after Real Madrid’s 3-2 Champions League win against Atalanta last night, as he praised his team for producing their best version on the pitch Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
