Having suffered a wobble at the start of January, which saw a loss to Villarreal in La Liga as well as a crushing defeat to Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final, Real Madrid appear to be back on track.
Thursday’s victory over city rivals Atletico Madrid in the Copa del Rey was the team’s three win in a row, albeit extra time was required. Nevertheless, Real Madrid’s return to form is a welcome sight for all Los Blancos fans, and perhaps no one is more relieved than head coach Carlo Ancelotti.
Much like last Thursday’s win over Villarreal, Real Madrid had to come from behind to defeat their opponents. Ancelotti knows that the team still need to improve, but he knows what’s required to keep getting better.
“What happens in football goes through my head. There are moments of difficulty. There are times when you have to have a cool head. The players put up with their own and so does the club.
“In times of difficulty, you have to have this. Football gives you the option to get out of a bad time quickly, but it can also come quickly. You have to be focused so it doesn’t happen.”
The match against Atleti on Thursday saw Ancelotti switch away from his usual 4-3-3 in favour of a 4-2-3-1 system, with Rodrygo playing behind striker Karim Benzema. The Italian felt like the change was a success, and it is an option that will be considered for Sunday’s La Liga fixture against Real Sociedad.
“I like (4-2-3-1) a lot. (No.10) is a position that Rodrygo likes because he is an ideal player to play behind the striker. We’re thinking about it. It’s also true that in many games we’ve played like this.”
Real Madrid could be six points behind league leaders Barcelona by the time they kick off against La Real on Sunday, so Ancelotti will be keen for his side to make it four straight victories at the Santiago Bernabeu.
