Matchday 8
Ancelotti not only demands that his team materialize their chances, but also try to get out of the pot “with balance and energy”
“The game against the Sheriff has affected our pride,” Carlo Ancelotti acknowledged this Saturday, the day before Real Madrid face Espanyol in Cornellà, where the League leader is obliged to recover the goal that he missed in the last two games at the Bernabéu, against Villarreal and against the Moldovan team on the second day of the Champions League. “Tomorrow we will react,” said the Italian coach, who at a time of so many doubts in the white team not only demands that Real Madrid materialize their chances, but also try to get out of this pothole “with balance and energy.” For this reason, he aims to recover his experienced hat-trick in midfield (Modric-Casemiro-Kroos) in the eleven, “because those who had fewer minutes against the Sheriff are fresher.” The Croatian left in the 65th minute to replace Casemiro and the German substituted Miguel Gutiérrez at that time to, in another of his failed experiments, take Camavinga to the left back.
Ancelotti guaranteed this Saturday the ownership of Kroos, “who has recovered well” after a pubalgia that did not allow the German to be part of the eleven since May 9, in the controversial match of the last League against Sevilla (2-2 ). Five months later, Ancelotti could recover his a priori more solid midfield. “Everyone sees Casemiro tired, but not me. When I give it rest it is to preserve it. Just like Modric, who played well against Villarreal and rested before the Sheriff, “recalled the Italian, who could resort again to Hazard, Benzema and Vinicius in attack. Hazard lacks continuity. It needs more prominence », acknowledges Ancelotti.
“Real Madrid continues to generate chances, because it has a lot of capacity at the top and we are talking about high-level footballers,” Espanyol coach Vicente Romero has warned, who promises to “make war” and threatens a former white player like Raúl de Tomás, author of two of the only four goals that the parrots have in this league, compared to 21 for the meringues. However, Madrid was left dry against Villarreal and in the fiasco against the Sheriff only Benzema could beat the opposing goal, and from a penalty. «In the last two games we have had the difficulty of scoring that we did not previously have. This is football », ditch Ancelotti.
Probable lineups:
Spanish:
Diego López, Aleix Vidal, Sergi Gómez, Cabrera, Pedrosa, Embarba, Fran Mérida, Sergi Darder, Bare, Wu Lei and Raúl de Tomás.Real Madrid:
Courtois, Nacho, Militao, Alaba, Miguel Gutiérrez, Modric, Casemiro, Kroos, Hazard, Benzema and Vinicius.Referee:
Cuadra Fernández (Balearic).Stadium and schedule:
RCDE Stadium. 16:15 h. (Movistar LaLiga).
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