Ancelotti: 'In the second half we were a more intense, aggressive and convincing team'
'Bellingham was very effective, his first goal was superb and he was very sharp for the second,' added the coach.
Carlo Ancelotti spoke in the press room at the Olímpico Lluís Companys stadium after his side’s victory in the Clásico on matchday 11 of LaLiga. The coach had the following to say: “The most important aspect of the match was the attitude, which was different in the first half and in the second half. In the first half we were a bit sluggish, slow and not very aggressive. In the second half we were the opposite, more intense, more aggressive and more decisive in front of goal.”
“Sometimes you don't play the way you want to play. In the first half we didn't perform at our best level. That can happen. We struggled at the start and we weren't very convincing in the individual battles. It was a half to forget. Fortunately, the second half was different and we managed to get the win.”
Modrić’s impact
“The pattern changed, we had more control of the ball. Barcelona eased off the pressure after the 60th minute, especially after the first goal. The dynamic of possession changed with Luka. After that, Bellingham was very effective. He scored a great goal, for the first one and he was alert to grab the second”.
On the match
“We weren't aiming for a draw, but to try to win. The equaliser changed the momentum. It gave us more strength and made Barcelona weaker, as they had been playing better up to that point. It's three points at a very difficult ground. We've played a lot of away games. Of the seven in the league, five have been very tough. The fixture schedule has demanded a lot from us and we've done very well."
On Bellingham’s brace
“We're all surprised at the level he's at, especially in terms of how effective he's been. He always tries to run in from deep. What was surprising today was his finishing, because he hasn't scored many goals from the edge of the area and today he scored a great one. He could easily score 20 or 25 goals. We don't think of him as a striker, but he's a very important player for us. He's scoring a lot of goals, but we also expect goals from the forwards.”
“Sometimes you don't play the way you want to play. In the first half we didn't perform at our best level. That can happen. We struggled at the start and we weren't very convincing in the individual battles. It was a half to forget. Fortunately, the second half was different and we managed to get the win.”
Modrić’s impact
“The pattern changed, we had more control of the ball. Barcelona eased off the pressure after the 60th minute, especially after the first goal. The dynamic of possession changed with Luka. After that, Bellingham was very effective. He scored a great goal, for the first one and he was alert to grab the second”.
On the match
“We weren't aiming for a draw, but to try to win. The equaliser changed the momentum. It gave us more strength and made Barcelona weaker, as they had been playing better up to that point. It's three points at a very difficult ground. We've played a lot of away games. Of the seven in the league, five have been very tough. The fixture schedule has demanded a lot from us and we've done very well."
On Bellingham’s brace
“We're all surprised at the level he's at, especially in terms of how effective he's been. He always tries to run in from deep. What was surprising today was his finishing, because he hasn't scored many goals from the edge of the area and today he scored a great one. He could easily score 20 or 25 goals. We don't think of him as a striker, but he's a very important player for us. He's scoring a lot of goals, but we also expect goals from the forwards.”
"He looks like a veteran. His attitude is very good. The closer he is to the box, the better it is for him. He's the player who has made the biggest difference. I don't know where he will be in the Ballon d'Or. I don't really care. I didn't know there was a gala on Monday."
Top of the table
"We have the lead, but the season is very long for us and for Barcelona, who are still a great team and we are going to fight until the end."
Half-time talk
"I told them that these games can be lost, but if we lost we had to do it differently: by being more aggressive in the one on one clashes. From what I saw in the second half they seemed to agree with what I said."
Vini Jr.
"Araujo is a great defender. I told him to play to the whistle. He was very dangerous and he tried more in the second half. He came off very calmly when he was substituted and I told him that Lucas Vázquez was coming on, who was fresher. I helped him off the pitch."
The referee's performance
"If people don't talk about him, it means he did very well. He's one of the most highly rated referees in Europe and he was very good, very calm. It was a very proper game for both teams, with a lot of fair play. It has to be like that in this type of match. There has to be respect on both sides."
Tactical approach
"Vini Jr. started pushing on their defence and Bellingham was to press the full-backs. To avoid Kroos dropping due to Gavi's pressure, I told Bellingham to go inside and Vini Jr. to be more open. The first half was difficult without the ball and with the ball we were very slow. We wasted a lot of time playing the ball back."
Top of the table
"We have the lead, but the season is very long for us and for Barcelona, who are still a great team and we are going to fight until the end."
Half-time talk
"I told them that these games can be lost, but if we lost we had to do it differently: by being more aggressive in the one on one clashes. From what I saw in the second half they seemed to agree with what I said."
Vini Jr.
"Araujo is a great defender. I told him to play to the whistle. He was very dangerous and he tried more in the second half. He came off very calmly when he was substituted and I told him that Lucas Vázquez was coming on, who was fresher. I helped him off the pitch."
The referee's performance
"If people don't talk about him, it means he did very well. He's one of the most highly rated referees in Europe and he was very good, very calm. It was a very proper game for both teams, with a lot of fair play. It has to be like that in this type of match. There has to be respect on both sides."
Tactical approach
"Vini Jr. started pushing on their defence and Bellingham was to press the full-backs. To avoid Kroos dropping due to Gavi's pressure, I told Bellingham to go inside and Vini Jr. to be more open. The first half was difficult without the ball and with the ball we were very slow. We wasted a lot of time playing the ball back."