Real Madrid will host Villarreal in the upcoming 9th round of La Liga on October 6 at 3:00 am Beijing time. Before the match, Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti attended a press conference to shed light on topics such as the team's form, strategy against opponents and players' performance.
Carlo Ancelotti began by saying that Villarreal are very good on the pitch and always manage to take advantage of good positions, so tomorrow's match will be a tough challenge. But he also emphasized that this match is an opportunity for Real Madrid to rediscover their form and play good football.
Responding to the criticism his team received after the match against Lille, Carlo Ancelotti believes that the voices of criticism were correct. He pointed out that sometimes a string of good results may make a team feel invincible, but a loss will bring the team back to reality. Ancelotti admitted that Real Madrid is not at the level it should be at the moment, and some players are not at their best yet, but the team is not far from its ideal state. He specifically mentioned the defensive intensity and offensive aspects of the ball running problems, said this is the team needs to improve the focus.
Speaking about Güler's playing time, Ancelotti said that Güler's chances of playing are indeed limited due to the fierce competition in the team. However, he also pointed out that Gules has been given more playing time compared to last season.
Regarding Villarreal's possible brave play, Ancelotti said that every opponent wants to get points at Real Madrid's home ground, so the team must be well prepared. He believes that it will be a great opportunity if Real Madrid can react well. Ancelotti also revealed that the players are responding well to the criticism and they are on the right path, stronger than ever.
Speaking about his mood, Carlo Ancelotti said that he feels very good, as always. He believes that if the team can capitalize on this loss and react well, then it will be a turnaround. Ancelotti also revealed that the team has been self-critical.
In addition, Ancelotti also talked about Mbappe's situation. He said that Mbappe had a problem before, but now it has been solved and he will participate in training normally. Regarding Mbappe's decision not to travel to the France training camp, Ancelotti said that it was Deschamps' decision and that he was not involved in the national team coach's decisions.
Speaking on whether the team lacks a player like Toni Kroos in the midfield who has a great sense of touch on the ball, Ancelotti dismissed it. He believes that players such as Modric, Camarvinga, Valverde and Bellingham have a great sense of touch on the ball, while Chelsea Mayeni is crucial to the team's defense. Ancelotti emphasized that Real Madrid have a lot of diversity and are not lacking anything.
Finally, Ancelotti mentioned the fact that the last team to win at the Bernabeu was none other than Villarreal. He said that Real Madrid will play as hard as ever considering the good form of their opponents and will hopefully be able to put in more effort to get the win.
