Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti defended his team selection after defeat at Atletico Madrid.
Yannick Carrasco struck from the spot for the only goal of the game.
Ancelotti left Karim Benzema and Luka Modric out his starting line-up with an eye on the Champions League final.
He said, “Benzema was tired and he hadn’t fully recovered. My main priority is to avoid any problems. Modrić was also tired and I preferred not to play him on from the beginning.
“The idea is that they’ll all be available for the 28th and we’re working with that in mind. Jović struggled because we had a really tough time of things when it came to playing the ball out from the back and we didn’t manage to play out cleanly. Our forwards had a tough time.
“We’ve got just the right time and we have these games to play and they’ll do us good. We’ve got the chance to get everybody back and fit and in good shape for the final. We’ve got a game on Thursday and we won’t be able to do any work. We’ve then got Sunday’s match.
“Our preparations over the two weeks will be just the same as usual and we’ll work on our fitness, strength and tactics. We won’t be doing anything special. At this moment in time, the best thing is to change as little as possible.”
Need a VPN? Or seeking to switch? Then support Tribal Football by clicking here to sign up with our official partners NordVPN. Not only will you receive the best VPN experience, but also great discounts by signing up via Tribal Football. Thanks for your support!
