The Italian Carlo Ancelotti, coach of Real Madrid, claimed the qualification of his team for the semi-finals of the Champions League, eliminating Manchester City on penalties, ensuring that “everyone” “left them for dead in the tie”, and that they have managed to get into the next round. “This is a special competition for us. Real Madrid achieves something in this competition that no one thinks it can achieve. “Everyone thought we were dead in the qualifying round, and here we are still,” he commented in the mixed zone. “Proud to reach the semifinals, especially beating the European champions. Guardiola has congratulated us and wished us luck for the final, Guardiola is a gentleman, like this club; It’s a gentlemen’s club”he declared. “The attitude and commitment of the players… this shirt demands this type of commitment,” Ancelotti completed, explaining how he saw the penalty shootout. “I have experienced penalties alone. “Everyone was very confident, we had no problem choosing the five and Lunin was very calm, we studied his pitchers well,” he said.
In addition, he has already set his mind on the classic against Barcelona on Sunday. “The locker room was crazy. “We are very tired, we have to celebrate because it is a very important classification and tomorrow we return, calmly, to prepare for Sunday’s game, which is key in the league,” he assured.
The transalpine jokingly assured that he will sleep well and drink a beer. The Madrid coach had said in the preview that City did not keep him awake and that he would only lose sleep if he ate a lot at night.
For its part, Nacho Fernandezcaptain of the white team, highlighted the resistance of Real Madrid at the Etihad Stadium in one of those “magical nights” in Europe, which he said he dreamed of “as a child.” “We have achieved the objective. Since the tie began we have suffered a lot because City subdues you but we are Real Madrid, we are in the semi-finals and very happy,” he said on Movistar+. “We are not used to it, normally we are the ones who subdue the opponent so much. It is very difficult to play at the Etihad against an opponent who plays as well as City. We know how to defend spectacularly in a low-medium block,” he added.
Nacho highlighted the fighting spirit of Real Madrid. “We have been very good defensively, I am very happy on an individual level. They are magical nights that you dream about as a child. With goosebumps. We started the round badly but we turned it around, we fought until the end. We are proud awesome”.
The joy of eliminating the current European champion precedes the dispute of the Spanish football classic against Barcelona. “We have to celebrate it today and tomorrow and then think about the classic, which is very important for LaLiga to get it back on track soon.”
Another who highlighted the fight and the number of kilometers his companions traveled was Andriy Lunin. The Ukrainian Real Madrid goalkeeper said he was happy for his personal performance in “a great experience.” “In these cases sometimes there are games that you have to suffer and overcome. You can’t always play with the ball and be the best team on the field. Today for me is a great experience and the team has made a great effort working 120 minutes. I can’t imagine being able to run like that for so many minutes. “It’s a great credit to the team,” he said on Movistar +. “I’m exhausted. It is the first match with Real Madrid at 120 minutes with this requirement in a Champions League match away. A lot of suffering but thanks to the team that ran, they fought and we went to the semis,” he added.
Lunin thanked the goalkeeping coach and his teammates for their help in stopping two penalties, one in the center without moving. “We prepared all the players who stayed to take the penalty, we had to take a risk with one to stay in the center and it was Bernardo’s. It turned out well,” he celebrated.
On the other hand, Jude Bellinghammidfielder for the Madridistas, assured that it is a relief to eliminate the ‘citizen’ and that his foot “was practically dead” at the end of the game. “It’s a relief. We gave everything in the game. I’ve played against City before and they drain you. My foot was practically dead at the end,” Bellingham said on TNT Sports after eliminating City in the penalty shootout. “It’s very difficult. They are constantly with the ball and they don’t stop moving. Most teams would have collapsed when they got like that, but we held on very well. I would never have dreamed of starting my time at Real Madrid like this. I hope There are many more nights like this,” added the Englishman. “Today was about mentality. You have to see it as a responsibility, not as pressure if you want to play for a team like Real Madrid,” added Bellingham, who had his brother in the stands watching him play. “It was very nice. My brother was here and it was the first time he saw me play for Madrid.”
Valverde: “City plays better football than ours, but we are Real Madrid”
The Uruguayan Fede Valverde He acknowledged that Manchester City “plays better football” than that of their team, but that they are “Real Madrid” and that they knew how to “suffer, work and take pride and determination.” “Madrid is always there. Obviously the rival was better and plays better football than ours, but we are Real Madrid. We have shown our face, without playing in the best way, but fighting,” he said on Movistar +. “We have done a job that we planned, until the goal. But mentally you get behind it and it’s fucked up. In addition to physically tiring you, running after the ball kills your head. But you have to know how to suffer, work, and take pride and determination; these moments are needed,” he added.
In addition, Valverde praised the performance of goalkeeper Lunin and midfielder Bellingham. “It was an incredible job by everyone. Congratulate Lunin, who have criticized him for a play in the first leg that could happen to anyone. He brought out the character in him. “He showed that he is up to the task of being Real Madrid’s goalkeeper,” he noted. “Congratulate each of the teammates, who adapted to the situation. There are teammates who stand out more attacking, but today they did an incredible job. Jude fought until the last minute. He had the courage to take the penalty; “He is a mature player and a brave person,” he declared.
Spaniard Lucas Vázquez, Real Madrid’s right back, echoed that idea, highlighting that they knew how to “suffer” against City. “We are very happy. We came to get this place in the semi-finals and we are very happy. It has been a hard night in which we have had to suffer. We played a game that we are not used to and the team has shown the character it has,” he said in the mixed zone. “We had the plan to go to the semifinals in our heads. “In important moments this team always shows its face,” he added. “I think that City has a very particular game at home and tries to subdue the rival. They are a great team with a great game, but this game was on our minds. We knew that we were going to have our options and then we knew how to suffer,” he concluded.
Kroos and his continuity: “I don’t know yet”
The German Toni Kroos assured that he “does not” know “yet” if he will continue with the white team, since his contract expires at the end of the season, while analyzing his team’s classification. “We have experience playing here. You never come here to play a comfortable game. We knew how to suffer. The game was always open and you have to believe until the end. That has to be like that. This team has it. “We have always believed in reaching penalties and I was confident that we were going to win,” he said in the mixed zone. “We wanted to touch the ball more to take advantage of that time to rest, but if you press City very high and you don’t do it perfectly they will score you five or six,” he added.
“I don’t know yet,” he answered about whether he will continue for another year at Real Madrid, a team that will face Bayern Munich in the semifinals. “Bayern comes that has beaten a great Arsenal and it is dangerous because Bayern only has the Champions League now. I haven’t thought about it yet, because we have a classic in four days, but it will be very difficult for sure,” he analyzed. “Every day is the League, but in this club the ‘Champions’ is worth a lot. We want this competition and we show it,” he concluded.
From the English side, Rúben Dias, Manchester City’s central defender, stated that Real Madrid “wanted penalties” and that they did everything possible to avoid them. “I don’t know what to say. It’s frustrating. We dominated the entire game and you are going to penalties. The effort has been there. We have had opportunities and it is very difficult to pass this now,” Dias said on TNT Sports. “You always try to do everything to avoid penalties. It’s what they wanted. The team was there and fought. We had our opportunities, but it wasn’t our day. Sometimes the ball goes in, sometimes it doesn’t. Now we have to get up for what we have left. We don’t have much time to rest. It is the tightest moment of the season. Now is the time to be strong in the head. We are still alive in two competitions,” added the Portuguese.
Also Rodri Hernandez He regretted the elimination of his team, since, in his opinion, the English club deserved to “go” to the semifinals. “It is worse to try to find an explanation. This competition does not understand merits. The only one they have had has been put in and we have been in tow the entire game. We didn’t expect them to be so, so far behind. We had the feeling that penalties suited them and it was their turn again, as usual. We have to get up and find the motivation that we have things to fight for,” he analyzed in Movistar +. “We had chances and if we were more precise we won the game, but this competition has these things. They get to the penalties, they score them and They win a tie that, in my opinion, we deserved to pass”he added.
2024-04-17 23:21:16
#Ancelotti #thought #dead #tie
