After an undeserved3-0 hammeringat the hands of Barcelona,Real Madridwill hope to get back to winning ways when they take on Juventus on Wednesday night.
It will be their last game of the pre-season tour, with their next match directly being the La Liga opener in 10 days’ time.
The last three games have bɾօυɢҺt several lessons for theReal Madridmanagement. Some of their ploys have worked, others not so much, but it is clear that the manager has utilised his chance to experiment to the fullest.
Speaking in his routine pre-match press conference in the buildup to the game against Juventus, Carlo Ancelotti summed up the takeaways from the US tour so far and the experiments he tried during its course.
“If we’re weighing up what we’ve done so far, it’s been good. We’ve tried a few things and they all went pretty well. We will finish the tour tomorrow and we want to do that as well as we possibly can,”he said.
“We have to keep going in this vein and then we’ll assess whether to continue with it or make a change.”
The Old Lady are coming off a win over AC Milan at the weekєɴԀ, and theReal Madridmanager admitted to the threat the experienced Italian side posed, saying:
“On a personal level, I’m satisfied. We have to adapt certain things but the players are pleased. Tomorrow is a real test against tough, experienced oppositionand it’s going to be a great game.”
A common feature in all ofLos Blancos’games so far in the pre-season is the passionate support from the fɑɴȿ. Ancelotti made a special mention of the packed stadiums and the atmosphere in the USA, as he said:
“It’s fantastic to be here. We’ve played some big games against really top opponents. Plus, we get the chance to meet with our fɑɴȿ in the United States. There are so many madridistas out here who feel immense passion for the club.”
The Italian gaffer also commented on the situations of Luka Modric and Toni Kroos. The veteran stars renewed their Ԁєɑłs with theMerenguesearlier this summer hoping to carry on their legacy for one more season. However, they face stiff competition from Jude Bellingham, Arda Guler and Eduardo Camavinga.
“Nothing changes in the games because they are still players with a degree of knowledge and experience that is unmatched by anyone. They set the example in our squad. They have given us so much and will continue to do so this season,”Ancelotti said.
“If the question is how many minutes they are going to play, I’m not sure. They will be important for us as they have been in previous years. The young lads are coming on really well and that is precisely because they have the chance to watch Kroos and Modrić,”he added.
Talking about the change in position of Vinicius Jr with the switch in tactics, Ancelottil elaborated:
“I have to make an assessment of that and so does he. The player likes to play a bit more on the inside. On the outside he makes the difference, but on the inside he can score more goals. In these games, Vini has done very well against Milan and Manchester United.
“It’s true that he could have been a bit better against Barcelona, but he had a lot of chances. I don’t know if he had those chances playing on the outside, but he’s still the best there. It’s pre-season and if we don’t try things now we won’t be able to do it later.”
On the formation change to a 4-4-2 diamond and what the team has learnt from it so far, Ancelotti said: “This scheme allows us to have another opportunity to vary the system. I think it’s good not to have a fixed system.
“On an individual level. we have learned from the qualities of Bellingham, who looks like a complete playmaker and not an inside player. He can make more of a difference. We are taking these things into account for next season.”
“What I disliked about the new system is not very much because we had good situations offensively. We were good in transition after a loss and also in pressing up front. The idea of changing is if the players are not comfortable. On the other hand, if they are comfortable in this system, we will continue with it,”he added.
The manager also spoke about academy product Nico Paz who is said to haveimpressed him in the pre-seasonso far, saying:
“Nico is very talented and very young. He looks like a first team player. We don’t want to put pressure on him because he has to improve, but he has the quality to play forReal Madridin the future.”
Ancelotti also had words of praise forReal MadridFemeninostar Linda Caicedo, who is lighting up the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 with the Colombian national team.
“She is doing very well. We have been keeping a close eye on women’s football and we are watching it. The World Cup is being entertaining. Spain’s last game didn’t go so well, but Linda did very well for her national team,”he said.
“We have some great players and a good relationship with the coach of theReal Madridwomen’s team. It’s a growing game and hopefully our women’s team can go on to win titles like the men’s game.”
