Carlo Ancelotti talks Bellingham, Carvajal, Endrick, yellow cards after Real Madrid 4-1 Espanyol

Real Madrid’s recent match displayed a more fluid and attractive style of play, resulting in a 4-1 victory. Despite some challenging moments, Carlo Ancelotti praised his team’s performance, acknowledging their ability to overcome difficulties.

There were several talking points from the match, including Jude Bellingham’s potential injury. Regarding that, Ancelotti addressed concerns over the midfielder’s shoulder injury, a recurring issue from nearly a year ago.

“Bellingham has always played with a shoulder protector. He took it off a month ago because he was fine, but today he has had the problem again,” the manager was quoted by AS. 

“Tonight he has resolved it very well; we will see how he feels tomorrow. I think it won’t be a problem, although he has to take care of himself, obviously,” he noted.

Ancelotti’s match analysis

In terms of the game itself, Ancelotti’s analysis was straightforward. Real Madrid initially fell behind after conceding the first goal but quickly reacted and Ancelotti emphasized that his team played with better rhythm and created more scoring opportunities than their opponents.

“We started well and reacted after the 0-1. It was complete. We played better than them, with more rhythm and creating more opportunities. I’m happy.”

When asked about some players receiving yellow cards for protesting decisions, Ancelotti acknowledged the stricter stance taken by referees this season.

“This season we have had three very severe ones. The referees’ method has changed a bit. They are more severe in this sense… and we have to get used to it,” he added.

Update on Carvajal’s injury

Ancelotti also provided updates on the injury to Dani Carvajal. Fortunately, Carvajal’s injury was described as a minor knock, with no serious concerns. Bellingham, as mentioned earlier, will need to be monitored, but there is no immediate cause for alarm.

“Carvajal is injured, but it’s just a knock, nothing serious. Jude had a shoulder problem and it resolved well. It doesn’t seem like anything particularly worrying.”

The coach also touched upon the situation of young talent Endrick, who has struggled for playing time this season. Ancelotti admitted that he might be treating Endrick unfairly, as he had previously felt with Brahim Diaz.

“On the one hand… yes, I may be being unfair, because he is training well, he is very serious and you can see that he is someone with a lot of quality. 

“But on the other hand, in front of him are Vinicius, Rodrygo, Mbappe… it is necessary, for him, to be a little patient,” explained the manager.

Rating the team’s performance

Tactically, Ancelotti praised the team’s response to a tight defence. He noted that Real Madrid played at a faster pace in attack, making better movements and successfully exploiting spaces left by the opposition.

“We played faster up front, playing faster and making some better moves. We covered the area well. It’s true that we don’t have a striker who can set the position, but we did get in fantastically from the back. 

“Mobility, as always, is an important weapon. The third goal was spectacular, on a fantastic counterattack. We had many shots on goal and we should be satisfied. Good game. 

“At the back, the recovery was good, as was the pressure after losing the ball. We came out with a good dynamic, and little by little we are returning to our best version,” he said.

Real Madrid have now gone 38 matches without defeat, an impressive achievement. Ancelotti remarked that, while the team has struggled to score in the first half of matches this season, their response after conceding has been strong.

“This season there is one fact: we have only scored one goal in the first half. It is striking. I have spoken to the players before the match, to see if I could change this dynamic. 

“I have not done so, but we have played with more intensity. The 38 games without losing… confirm that this team has done well, is doing well and will do very well,” he concluded.