Ancelotti: I haven't seen that, and we can qualify against Atletico Madrid

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti appeared in a press conference after the victory over Rayo Vallecano 2-1 in the 27th round of La Liga.

He began his speech: "I would like to send my condolences to the family of Barcelona doctor Carles and referee David. We are very sorry."

He added: "The feeling is good because the goal was to get the three points. We had a very good first half where we could have finished the match 3-0, but we ended up with a score of 2-1. It became a bit complicated in the second half."

He continued: "In the second half, we had two or three chances. Mbappe's ball for the 3-1 goal and Vinicius's pass. The 75th minute arrives, and the score is 2-1, and we have to do one thing: defend well and avoid problems. We defended well and avoided problems, but I understand that the fans were not pleased with the last moments of the match."

He added: "We have to take into account that there are many teams that played in the Champions League and did not win yesterday and today. Inter Milan struggled against Monza, Liverpool against Southampton, Bayer Leverkusen lost, and Bayern lost. It is very difficult to prepare for this type of match, especially against a team that fights and plays hard like Rayo. I repeat, the first half was very good."

He went on: "Will Modric play against Atletico? Modric will recover; he finished the match well. I was a bit tired, like everyone else, because it was a tough match. I believe they will all recover well. We hope Rudiger and Courtois recover from the flu."

He noted: "Vinicius Junior and Mbappe scored two wonderful goals. Until the 70th minute, they performed well, and they had the chance to turn the score to 3-1. When I think I need to defend, I take out the attackers. For me, there is no problem in taking them out; for example, I rested Rodrygo, and this will be beneficial for them in the match on Wednesday."

He added: "Mbappe played very well and scored a wonderful goal. He fought and dropped back to get the ball. The goal comes because he receives the ball from behind and then faces the run without the ball. It was a wonderful goal; he did it very well."

He continued: "Bellingham returned in good condition. Courtois has a minor issue, but I believe he will recover quickly for Wednesday's match. Bellingham's match was good. As I said, I really liked the first half because we pressed the team. The score could have been 3-0 with a ball steal, but we played with intensity and quality. In the second half, we dropped in level."

Regarding Vinicius: "He has a great future ahead of him because he reached these numbers very early, fights, and improves every season. He deserves it because, in addition to all this, he is a good boy."

About his conversation with David on the touchline: "We were talking about the changes that need to be made. If Ibrahim or Camavinga are brought in, who should be replaced? For me, it's not that simple because I focus on the match, and it's more difficult for me to listen to the coaching staff's words. That's why I was talking about the changes that need to be made."

About Bellingham, who was icing his leg: "He got hit, but there is nothing serious."

Regarding the individual efforts of the attackers: "I didn't see this individuality; the first goal came from a pass from Vinicius Junior to Mbappe. The second was an amazing individual performance from Vinicius. I think they tried to combine as always; they will be at their best on Wednesday because everyone is very excited for this match."

About Tchouaméni's development: "I haven't spoken to him. Tchouaméni has a very strong personality. He is hardworking, serious, and professional. He has dealt with criticism very well. He is playing well with the ball now. We had to discover him without the ball, and he is amazing; the duo of Modric and Tchouaméni performed very well."

He concluded: "Will the team be able to win against Atletico on Wednesday by playing this way? If we play the same way we played in the first half, we have a good chance of qualifying."