Ancelotti talks Barcelona, Vinicius, his legacy and future after Barcelona 4-3 Real Madrid | OneFootball

Real Madrid suffered another disappointing blow at the hands of their arch-rivals Barcelona, falling 4-3 at Montjuic in a pulsating encounter.

It was a result that not only dented Los Blancos’ faint title hopes but also handed the Catalans a clean sweep of Clasico victories this season – four wins in four matches.

It was also Carlo Ancelotti’s final game in charge of a Clasico as the Italian manager is all set to leave the club at the end of the season.

What Ancelotti said after defeat to Barcelona

Real Madrid’s defeat to Barcelona raised plenty of questions about the team’s quality and form. Ancelotti addressed some of them in the post-match press conference.

Speaking first about the team’s tactical approach and the decision to sit deeper after going 2-0 down, the coach said, “In a match of this level, you have to defend well and attack well. We attacked well, but in those 30 minutes, we made defensive errors that cost us the game.”

He also cleared up the confusion around Vinicius Jr.’s substitution, stating, “I made the change. He had a sprained ankle.”

Reports have indeed claimed that the Brazilian international has picked up a fresh knock against Barcelona, though the severity of the knock remains undetermined.

When asked whether this Real Madrid team needs to be built around Kylian Mbappé, Ancelotti was rather appreciative.

“They did well. Every chance we had up front was clear because we attacked well behind them. We scored three and were offside twice. We had clear ideas in attack, but I don’t think we defended well,” he said.

Is this the end of the road for Carlo Ancelotti? (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

Ancelotti, though, was quick to remiind everyone that the team was missing key defenders through injury. “We mustn’t forget that we were missing five defenders, we mustn’t forget that.” he pointed out.

The Italian also commented on the absence of Rodrygo, who didn’t warm up during the match:“He had recovered, but he was not feeling well.”

On whether there’s any disciplinary reason behind Rodrygo’s omission, he clarified:“Nothing, no problems with him. He wasn’t at 100 percent. If you put him in for five or seven minutes if he’s not at 100 percent, you’re only getting injured.”

When asked whether this could have been his final Clasico, Ancelotti simply said, “It’s the last one of the season and we have to try to win the three remaining ones.”

Ancelotti was also asked what the e four defeats to Barça this season signify, to which the Italian didn’t hold back.

“We had to defend better. Today’s performance is quite evident. We defended poorly, not because we had a low block; we defended poorly, period, because defending high is easier,” he said.

Regarding his legacy and whether this poor run could affect how his time in Madrid is remembered, Ancelotti answered: “Everyone can make their own assessment.”

Finally, on whether there was a lack of attitude in the first half, the coach was quick to defend his players.

“We could have made it 4-4 twice. We’ve been there. I saw a game against a great team, but two great teams. I have nothing to criticize in terms of attitude and commitment. We competed until the last minute,” he concluded.

Source: Diario AS