Ancelotti was critical of the rematch with Leipzig. We suffered and did not play well! What all did Real do wrong according to their coach?

Real Madrid finally made it to the quarter-finals of the Champions League, beating RB Leipzig in a double-header in the eighth round. In the return leg, however, they only drew 1-1 with the German side, what did Real coach Carlo Ancelotti say at the post-match press conference?

A double-header that was more evenly matched than the vast majority of fans would have expected. In the end, Real Madrid successfully made it to the Champions League semi-finals, winning 1-0 in their opening match at RB Leipzig. The winning goal was scored by Brahim Díaz.

It must be added that this shot ultimately decided Real’s progress to the quarter-finals. The return leg ended in a 1-1 draw, with Vinícius Júnior opening the scoring in the 65th minute.

However, Real’s lead did not last long. Just three minutes after the first goal of the match, Willi Orban, the thirty-one-year-old Hungarian defender, who is in his ninth season in Leipzig, equalised.

Leipzig could have turned the game around, but neither Loïs Openda nor Benjamin Šeško took any chances. Dani Olmo hit the crossbar with a lob and the Spanish side were tied 1-1 going into the next round.

The return leg was understandably not to the liking of the Real Madrid coach. Carlo Ancelotti, in his post-match press conference, described the match as bad from Real’s point of view. According to the players of the eliminated Leipzig, the Spanish giant was helped by the referee, Vinícius should have been sent off.

Ancelotti on the rematch with Leipzig

“It was a bad game, we didn’t play well at all. The opponent had nothing to lose, they showed quality, while my team played like they had the handbrake on. There was a lack of intensity on our part. A lack of concern about what we were doing wrong,” said Ancelotti, who was also quoted by ESPN.

“Logically, it meant we had to suffer. We played in a deep block, but we were terribly slow. This was not my team’s best night. We have to accept it and say – my bad. But the most important thing is that we are in the quarter-finals,” admitted the Real Madrid coach.

“The game is over. We also have a good lead at the top of the domestic league. So while we can be self-critical, I refuse to think we have to be extra hard on ourselves,” added the 67-year-old Italian strategist.

Source: UEFA, ESPN, Sky Sports