Real Madrid supporters and players rejoiced after securing a hard-earned victory over Atletico Madrid on Wednesday, clinching a place in the quarter-finals of the Champions League. However, manager Carlo Ancelotti was more relieved than ecstatic, labelling the performance as below par.
The match concluded in a 4-2 triumph for Real in a penalty shootout, following a 2-2 draw on aggregate, as the reigning champions aim for a record 16th European Cup title.
Ancelotti expressed his disappointment at the team conceding a goal just seconds into the match, which equalised the aggregate score after Real had taken a 2-1 lead from the first leg last week.
He called on his players to sharpen their focus as they prepare to take on Arsenal for a spot in the semi-finals.
“I have emphasised to my players that the main objective was to keep the game from becoming any more complicated than it had to be,” Ancelotti stated during the press conference.
“We made things harder by losing needless possessions that left us out of position… Had they gone 2-0 up, things could have spiralled out of control… We improved as the match went on, created opportunities, but we really need to enhance our focus and concentration,” he remarked.
“We must always strive for improvement. The tie was closely contested, and a single error could have proven costly. While we certainly aimed to wrap up the match before penalties, here we are, still in the fight as is the tradition of this club.“
Compiled by SportArena.com.au.
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