Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti was happy after their 3-1 win at Espanyol.
Two goals in the final three minutes from Karim Benzema earned Real Madrid the win.
Ancelotti said, “We had a very good start. We controlled the game well and struck early. We then dropped our intensity a bit, we weren’t effective up front and it became more difficult after they equalised because there were a lot of stoppages. The game became end to end and that suited us”.
“We were very slow. We weren’t able to transition well at the start of the second half and they set up well defensively. We were struggling so I decided to change the intensity of the game.
“Hazard might have been an option, but I didn’t want to unbalance the team. We already had Rodrygo, Vinicius and Karim playing. Bringing on another forward could have been risky. He has my full backing and it’s not a problem if he doesn’t play, doesn’t get on the pitch or doesn’t warm up. He will get playing time. I’m not Hazard’s, Benzema’s, Mendy’s, Camavinga’s or Valverde’s coach. I’m Real Madrid’s coach.
“Each game is a different story. If I’d started with Rodrygo and Camavinga we might not have had so much control in the first 25 minutes. If Kroos and Modric had come on instead, we might not have had that energy that we had. But choosing is like betting. Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. Today, the Real Madrid coach made a good bet.”
