Ancelotti talks Bellingham, Rodrygo, Alaba, Vinicius, Mbappe after Real Madrid 5-1 RB Salzburg

Braces from Rodrygo and Vinicius Jr. and a goal from Kylian Mbappe helped Real Madrid seal an important 5-1 win over RB Salzburg in the penultimate round of the UEFA Champions League’s league phase last night.

The three points take them to 16 in total, just one point behind Bayer Leverkusen who are in eighth place right now.

The result sees Los Blancos continue their strong run of form in recent weeks and takes them a step closer to a favourable finish on the standings. A top-8 finish may be unlikely, but they will look to draw a favourable opposition for the knockout.

Ancelotti faces the press

Speaking to the media after the game, Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti showered praise on his side, the performance they dished out and what it meant to them from the standings point of view.

“It was complicated at first but we improved after the opening goal. The individuals we have are enormous. There are many plays that I enjoyed and I loved the fifth goal, which was spectacular.”

He also commented on the impact of the result on the standings and where Real Madrid can finish if they win over Brest.

“We have to play the last game and try to see where we get. There’s not much to think about. We must try to beat Brest on the last day and see how we stay in the standings. It will be very difficult to be among the top 8.”

Real Madrid saw two braces from Vinicius and Rodrygo last night and a goal from Kylian Mbappe to make it 5. Praising his forwards, he said,

“Everyone is connecting well in attack and with these players we will have no problems scoring goals. At the offensive level, there is a lot of creativity and you have to take into account how the footballer sees the play.”

“With Mbappe, Vini Jr., Rodrygo and Bellingham we will have no problems scoring,” he reiterated.

Showering praise especially on Rodrygo who continues to impress and make a strong case to remain a starter, he said,

“He is scoring in all the games and helping us a lot. The quality we have is Mbappe, Vini Jr., Rodrygo, Bellingham, Brahim, Valverde’s strikes.”

“It’s a perfect combination of an attacking game and we enjoy it and we will enjoy it more when the team defends better,” he added.

Ancelotti then went on to laud his men for dishing out improved displays at the back in recent games and called it the ‘key to success.’

“I try to improve the team’s defensive work because that is the key to success. You have to be as compact as possible, be it low block, high or high or low pressure.”

“It is a problem of concentration, sacrifice and commitment. The teams that defend well win,” he added.

Elaborating on how the defence has improved in recent games with better cohesion and coordination, he said,

“At the defensive level, everyone has their role and we are improving a lot. We have to keep improving. They have to be better positioned, work together and have the same ideas.”

“It is not a problem of individual quality but of collective work,” he added.

Ancelotti then proceeded to provide an update on David Alaba who came on past the hour mark.

“He is very close to playing from the beginning. Today he has played 30 minutes and whether he is a starter will depend a lot on how he feels. He is comfortable and he is training well. When he tells me he’s ready, I’ll put him as a starter.”

He also reassured fans that Jude Bellingham’s injury scare was nothing serious, saying,

“It was discomfort in the back, but nothing serious.”

The Italian gaffer was finally asked if it would be a pleasant development if Manchester City failed to qualify for the knockouts, especially after their defeat to PSG.

“They are one of the candidates to win the Champions League again and it would be good news if they fail to qualify,” he said.

Source: Real Madrid website