“Courtois’ save is key”

The coach of Real Madrid, Carlo Ancelotti, r.He recognized that his team suffered against Chelsea, but despite this he knew how to fight the tie in the first half and then sentenced in the second.

“It was a difficult and complicated game, as expected, because this type of rival tries to do everything. Chelsea did very well in the first half, we had a lot of problems and Courtois helped us keep the tie”, judged he in the post. -crash press conference.

Came up with a score of zero at halftime, thanks to the “key stop” of Courtois with a point-blank shot from Cucurella, it was decisive so that in the second half Madrid could play a game “more complete, of higher quality, and have more of the ball”, in the opinion of “Carletto” .

The Madrid coach judged that the reason for the success in the round of 16 and quarterfinals against Liverpool and Chelsea was the good “white” defense.

“We make the difference when there is a collective defensive commitment, that is the basis for showing the quality we have. We conceded two goals in the first ten minutes against Liverpool and then we have very solid at the back,” he said.

ancelotti He believes that his players reached the end of the season “very well” and sees his team as “focused, very solid”, which allowed him to achieve “success” in reaching the semifinals of Champions League.

Asked about the scorer of Real Madrid’s two goals, Rodrygo, the coach praised the striker’s enormous effectiveness in front of the goal, although he considered that he had played better games.

“The fight of Rodrygo He was less good than others, because he played amazing matches, but with extraordinary effectiveness. The work he did in other games where he didn’t score made a difference”, he added.

And he congratulated himself on Real Madrid’s “luck” to “have young people with energy, clarity… it’s an amazing thing, a group of young people who give us a lot of confidence for the future .”

After highlighting Courtois’ decisive save, in his review of the match ancelotti He acknowledged that Madrid suffered in the first half because of Kanté’s position, which led to a continuous “two against one” against Reece James against a lone Camavinga, who returned to the left today.

“In the second half I put Valverde on the left to control the position and we were better there,” concluded Ancelotti, explaining how they Praise and Benzema. “Alaba strained his hamstring and couldn’t continue. Karim had a kick that was bothering him at the end and that’s why the change was made. It was a foot stomp that started bothering him at the end and that’s why why we changed it. When we score we just have to defend”, he said.