Ancelotti: "We fought and competed until the end"
"Sometimes there are draws that hurt, but they can be a positive step towards winning the league," said the coach.
Carlo Ancelotti spoke in the press room at the Estadio de Vallecas and analysed the Rayo Vallecano-Real Madrid clash on matchday 25 of LaLiga: “In the first half we started very well. We were good on the ball, we got a goal and we could've scored another. Until the penalty we did everything great. After that the game changed, there was more fighting and a lot more interruptions. It wasn't that easy to create chances in a situation like that. We fought hard and ended up with a draw. We're not happy, but we're in a good position. We're calm and relaxed.”
“After the equaliser everything changed. It was the kind of match we don't like, full of fights and interruptions. We have to accept it because sometimes matches are like that. What's important is that we fought and competed until the end. We want to win every game, but to win the league you can't lose the games you can't win. Sometimes there are draws that hurt, but they can be a positive step towards winning the league.”
Did Madrid match Rayo’s intensity?
“We played with intensity, but Rayo played really well in terms of intensity. They did well with their plan to break and we got a point that could be positive in the future.”
Estadio de Vallecas
“It's not easy to win here. You have to get used to this pitch, which is shorter. We have to play a different game. We're hurting because we started very well, but the penalty changed everything.”
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A lack of concentration?
“When weren't we focused? I think we always are, even today when things didn't go so well. It's very difficult to fault this team this season.”
Modrić
“He played really well, he tried everything he could. With the ball he was the most alert. He played very well, he tried to look for passes and his positioning was good. The same Modrić as always.”
His conversation after the match with referee Muñiz Ruiz
“I didn't talk about Carvajal's red card but about the grabs, which for me are all cards. He told me that not all of them are cards and I accepted his explanation. For me the referee had a good game.”
Yellow cards for protesting players
“I'll discuss the cards for protests personally with the players. It was a hard fought match and the protests are understandable.”