Ancelotti: "Our objective is to take three points and we're not thinking about what might happen next"
"Courtois will be playing against Cádiz after such a long time and that's great news for us," said the Real Madrid boss.
Carlo Ancelotti spoke to the media in the press room at Real Madrid City after the final training session ahead of the clash against Cádiz at the Santiago Bernabéu, on matchday 34 of LaLiga. The coach had the following to say: “We have a very clear objective tomorrow, to take three points to get closer to winning this competition. This is the only thing on our minds. We're not thinking about what might happen next, just about achieving our objective, which is to win against a team that is fighting to escape relegation and who will come to the Bernabéu with full motivation and the desire to win.”
“Courtois is doing well. He will play tomorrow. After such a long time it's great news for us that he's coming back, the same goes for Militão. I think he can contribute what he has contributed. He's doing very well and he's looking forward to it. We're all delighted that he's coming back.”
Will the team go to Cibeles, if they win the league tomorrow?
“We haven't thought about any of this, because we haven't won anything yet. We'll think about celebrations the day we're mathematically sure. The only objective tomorrow is to get three points from this game.”
In goal
“The final we have in mind is the one on Wednesday, against Bayern, where Lunin will be playing. After that, we'll see.”
Rodrygo’s position
“The moment we put Rodrygo on the left and Vinicius in the centre on the left, Rodrygo got two goals against Manchester City and Vini scored both in the semi-final. It went pretty well. We have to adjust things, but not offensively, on that side. Things are going very well. The left wing has been working and it has worked very well. We have to improve defensively against Bayern. We'll improve this for Wednesday.”
On the season so far
“I've never had a season with only two defeats. Hopefully we can continue with this run until the end of the season. The squad has done really well, with plenty of commitment. Everyone has contributed a lot, those who have played all the games and those who have played less. We're very confident going into the final stretch of the season and we're eager to win trophies.”
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What went wrong defensively in Munich?
“I'm not talking about individuals. The team was too passive, especially in the first half, and we have to be more active in that area. Militão will be playing tomorrow to get up to speed.”
Bellingham
“He had an intestinal virus last Wednesday night that didn't allow him to recover a week later. He's doing very well now and will do very well, as he's always done this season.”
On Vini Jr.
“He's a player who is progressing very quickly because of his attitude, his work and his qualities. He's a very important player for us.”
Changes in the set-up
“Rodrygo on the left wing is only an offensive aspect, not a defensive one. Bellingham works more in that respect. It was just to try and cause more damage to the opposition defence. It's not a final decision, I can change it in the next few games. Rodrygo is effective in all the positions I play him in. He's also scored on the right wing, it doesn't change much for him.”
Will Güler play tomorrow?
“He’s going to start.”
What is special about this team?
“It's difficult to compare squads with others. In this one, what I see, without comparing it with other years, is an extraordinary collective commitment and lack of egos.”
Kroos’s future
“I'd tell him to make the best decision for himself, not for anyone else.”
How is the squad doing?
“We know that it's different from other years. When we played Espanyol, it was in our hands to win the league, now it's not. We need four more points. We have to get three tomorrow and, if possible, another one in the next game. That's why we don't want to talk about celebrations, because it's not in our hands yet. The team is doing very well. We're well up for it.”
Could Courtois play in the potential Champions League final?
“We're not thinking about that. We have a final on Wednesday. We don't think about what might happen in a month's time. We will see. Hopefully we can think about it, because it'll mean we get to play in the final in London. After eight months, a player will recover well physically. What a player of this level lacks is the ability to read the situations on the pitch. Everyone adapts and needs time to adapt in their own way. Physically, he's doing very well, he's been cleared medically and he's fine.”