Real Madrid maintained their perfect record in the Champions League so far with a 2-1 win over Shakhtar Donetsk on Wednesday night.
It was a curious match as Los Blancos peppered the Shakhtar goal with shots throughout, yet struggled to make those chances count. For many, the scoreline seemed some way short of the reality on the pitch.
Speaking to Diario AS after the match, Carlo Ancelotti told the press that he was content with the night’s work.
“Yes, because of how we played. We played very well, we combined very well, we were not precise in the final shot, even if we shot a lot.”
“The pressure was good, in defence too, we pushed more in order to stop them playing comfortably and we achieved that.”
Ancelotti was visibly frustrated after Los Blancos conceded, seen shouting at his players with unusual vigour for the Italian. He was asked what it was he told his players.
“To be more compact, to not think that it is easy, when you go 2-0 up and you are controlling, sometimes you lose concentration. You make one less run… This happened at the end of the first half, they were small things.”
He was later asked if that slackening off, a lack of intensity, worried him.
“I know this team relaxes when it can relax. It is normal, when a match is under control… It seems like everything is simple. But I am satisfied because the team played well. The three up front linked up well.”
“I am not concerned. The intensity is important, but you can’t do it all the time.”
Perhaps this is one of the occasions where Ancelotti stands out from most managers. Plenty of others at the top level would find that drop unacceptable and certainly would not publicly acknowledge that it is a natural part of the game. However Ancelotti’s honesty and empathy with his players is a key part of his success.
