Carlo Ancelotti played down the importance of the defeat against Atlético de Madrid: “The priority today was to avoid problems”

Italian Carlo Ancelotti, coach of the real Madridassured, after the defeat of his team 1-0 in the derby against Atlético de Madrid in which he included rotations, that “the priority was to avoid problems” with the footballers who were tired, thinking about the final of the Champions League of the next May 28 against Liverpool.

”It was a good game in the second half, we were close to equalising. We have to continue like this. The priority today was to avoid problems and give minutes to those who had less. The remaining games will be like this. On Thursday the players who played fewer minutes today will play, against Cádiz the same… These games help us to have rhythm”, he said at a press conference.

”It is not the moment of the anger. We weren’t happy with the first half because we missed a lot of passes, we’ve lost duels… in these kinds of games the mental aspect is very important and sometimes decisive. Atlético had, in this sense, an advantage, it is normal. We didn’t need points, we needed to play a good game; in the second part we did better. We needed to give rest to those who were tired, we avoided problemss”, he expanded.

An Ancelotti who, in addition to announcing rotations, revealed that in the last league game against Betis the team that will play in the final in Paris will play “more or less”.

An eleven in which, except for a setback, the Uruguayan Fede Valverde will be, whom he considered “untouchable” at Real Madrid and who was a substitute this Sunday and played the last half hour.

The one who could not participate was the Hispanic-Dominican Mariano Díaz, despite being in the first instance in the starting eleven.

”Mariano was not comfortable. He has had a little discomfort in the hamstring. With the tests this morning it seemed that he was fine, but after the line-up he told me that he did not feel comfortable. I decided to put Jovic in, who had gastroenteritis problems yesterday. I had no idea to put Benzema inAncelotti commented.

”Benzema was tired, he hadn’t recovered. The first thing I have to do is avoid problems. Modric was also tired, that’s why I avoided putting him in from the beginning“, complete.

An Ancelotti who valued Jovic’s match: “It was difficult in the first half because the start from behind was very complicated, we didn’t know how to play cleanly from behind and there the forwards had more difficulty “said.

In addition, the Italian coach commented that he had “a little trouble with the referee’s assistant” before the break for which he saw the yellow card and revealed that Simeone “congratulated” him on the League title.