Ancelotti: “We want to go close out the Group Stage on a high"

Carlo Ancelotti spoke to the press on the eve of Real Madrid's visit to Union Berlin on Champions League Group C matchday six (9:00pm CET): “We have achieved our aim of finishing top of the group. We've done a good job so far and now we want to finish strongly with a good game, a positive performance. It's a special competition and we have to respect it with a good game. We're playing for our professionalism and our plan is to play well and try to win the game."

“Given its history, Real Madrid is always a candidate to win this competition, whatever happens in the Group Stage. We've done really well, it's always tough to win it but we have the quality to fight until the end." 

Will there be rotation?
“My plan is to assess how the guys who played in Seville have recovered and then pick the best eleven from there. If the ones who played aren't tired, they can play, but if there are guys with fatigue after the Betis game then they will be rested. I won't be rotating for the sake of it, only if there is a player who's at risk of having problems due to fatigue."

Goalkeepers
“Kepa will be our goalkeeper tomorrow. I don't think it's unfair to leave someone on the bench because that would make it unfair all the time. Lunin has had a chance to get a run in the team and he did well. He and all of us are delighted to have a goalkeeper we can trust. Kepa didn't have to show it in the same way as he's already shown it over his career. Kepa has always done a fantastic job whenever he's played."

The opposition
“Union Berlin have changed their system, their approach, they'll look to play more on the front foot than they did in the first game. The new coach has changed things. There are no secrets in football, we will have to respect them. It will be an entertaining and hard-fought game."

New Union Berlin coach: Nenad Bjelica
““He came to a training session of ours. He was here for a week and we enjoyed ourselves chatting about football. I'm pleased to see that he's found another job."

Kroos
“He looks good to me and whatever he decides to do next year will be respected by everyone. Legends, like Kroos, Modrić or Nacho, have earned the right to decide what they want to do in the future. The club has such enormous respect for them that they have earned that option."

Has a legend like yourself earned the right to continue?
“I'm no legend, I'm just a coach. The players are the legends, they have had a wonderful career here and I think they should bring it to an end here”.

Brahim's defensive efforts
“The time he spent in Milan has helped him defensively. He's come back in prime tactical conditions. His positioning without the ball is fantastic and that's pretty unusual to find in a forward of his quality."

Comparisons between Bellingham and Kaká
“Kaká used to drive into the box with the ball but he didn't have Bellingham's ability to arrive in the box without the ball. That really makes a difference. Not playing with a fixed striker gives him more chance to get into the box with more space to shoot. It was a different system with Kaká and it was harder for him. Bellingham's movement without the ball is incredibly effective."

Nico Paz
“It depends what I see in tonight's training session, that's important for me. If we have some tired players, the others will get a chance."

Barcelona-Girona in LaLiga
“It was hugely entertaining as a football fan. It was trading blows, not a very tactical game. Girona were better because they were more clinical. Beyond that, I don't want to be critical or talk about the tactical side of things. It's surprising to see Girona at this level and showing such personality and character."