Ancelotti: 'We didn't defend well and we weren't a solid unit.'
'The match was evenly matched, competitive and Villarreal played better than us,' the coach said.
Carlo Ancelotti spoke to the media in the press room at the Estadio de la Cerámica after the Villarreal-Real Madrid game on match-day 16 of LaLiga: 'The game was evenly matched, competitive, and Villarreal played better than us. We didn't defend well in our own half, we weren't compact and we gave away possession between in the midfield. They played at a high level and we didn't play at a high level defensively. We let our opponents have too much control in aspects we usually do well. We have to focus and solve these problems.”
'It wasn't a great game from us defensively. We were pretty good in the opposition half, but in our own half we should have done better. We were wide open and they took advantage and played into space. That was the problem. Villarreal played better than us and when you play better you deserve to win.'
Penalties for handball
'Football has changed in this regard. There’s the rule that if it touches your hand and it’s not pinned to your body, it’s a penalty. Whether or not someone slips doesn’t matter. Both penalties were correctly awarded according to the rules, but football fans don’t like to see it. The rule is there and the referee has to abide by that rule.'
'It wasn't a great game from us defensively. We were pretty good in the opposition half, but in our own half we should have done better. We were wide open and they took advantage and played into space. That was the problem. Villarreal played better than us and when you play better you deserve to win.'
Penalties for handball
'Football has changed in this regard. There’s the rule that if it touches your hand and it’s not pinned to your body, it’s a penalty. Whether or not someone slips doesn’t matter. Both penalties were correctly awarded according to the rules, but football fans don’t like to see it. The rule is there and the referee has to abide by that rule.'
'I can’t say that blowing for these kinds of things isn’t football because I said that in the last press conference and all hell broke loose. All of us who work in football have to get used to it'.
Team’s fitness levels
“I think the team looks pretty fresh. They might not all be in the same condition but it wasn’t a physical issue because we really pushed towards the end and the team kept going until the final whistle”.
Militão at right-back
“I didn’t want to play Lucas Vázquez because he played the full 90 in Cáceres. Militão did a great job in that position for Brazil. From an attacking point of view he did very well and defensively, he was not the problem. The team was far too open”.
Team’s fitness levels
“I think the team looks pretty fresh. They might not all be in the same condition but it wasn’t a physical issue because we really pushed towards the end and the team kept going until the final whistle”.
Militão at right-back
“I didn’t want to play Lucas Vázquez because he played the full 90 in Cáceres. Militão did a great job in that position for Brazil. From an attacking point of view he did very well and defensively, he was not the problem. The team was far too open”.