The preparation for the first Madrid derby of the season was marked by the difference in rest times between the two teams. He Athletic had 48 hours less to prepare for the meeting of the Metropolitanafter playing this Thursday at Bélé against him Celtic (0-1). He Real Madridfor his part, played his last match Tuesday against the Alavésinside Santiago Bernabéu (3-2). This is not something new, even if the roles are changed.
This is how he wanted to reflect it Charles Ancelotti during his press conference this Saturday, at Valdebébas. The Italian was clear on Atletico’s complaints: “Yes, I understand. It has happened to us too many times, most of them even against Atlético themselves,” said the Madrid coach to resolve the problem .
Almost simultaneously, Diego Pablo Simeone He also gave his press conference. The Argentine, as an injured party on this occasion, was questioned about the same thing. True to his style, he left a certain touch in the measured message he used: “I don’t measure time at all. We accept what is. When they told us to play against Bilbao, no one Nobody cared about what happened in the first game. It doesn’t matter to us if we play every two days, every three days, every five days. people who work very well, we must respect their work, because they do it very well.
There were other topics to discuss during Ancelotti’s press conference. The Italian confirmed Camavinga would be in the squad after recovering from his injury, but gave no further clues on how he would compensate for Mbappé’s absence. In addition, he did not address the controversy over the racist insults that surround Vinicius on every visit to the Metropolitano.
Yellow to protest
“We talked about it. There were too many cards due to protests in the last few matches. We need to avoid unnecessary protests tomorrow.”
Camavinga, back
“He is available. He has trained well and is in good condition. He can play 90 minutes or 0 minutes.”
Change in Bellingham
“Bellingham’s position depends a lot on the strategy we want to follow. Without Mbappé, it changes a little. But we are used to playing without him. [Kylian]because last year we were without him and we think we can compensate well for his absence.”
Carlo Ancelotti, during Real Madrid training
EFE
Racism in the stands?
“Tomorrow will be an entertaining spectacle. There are top players on both teams.”
Improvement of Madrid
“The team even improved the mistakes in the last ten minutes of the last match. We saw a more united, compact and efficient team. The goals were quality. We are on the right track and tomorrow’s match is a good one. test to verify it.”
Atlético evaluation
“A derby is always special. Atleti’s assessment is that they are a team that has improved a lot compared to last year, they have signed very good players. They will fight until the end. end for this League with us and with Real Madrid.
Change of diet
“I don’t pay much attention to the system. 4-3-3 can turn into 4-4-2 with the same players. It’s not that it changes by adding another midfielder or a striker. I don’t pay attention to that. As for what I’m looking for, it’s for the team to be united and engaged.
What derby awaits
“It is clear that it is difficult, but every match has its story. Predicting what will happen tomorrow is complicated. We have a plan to enjoy it and enjoy it, let’s see if it goes well.”
Vinicius, Ballon d’Or
“I think so. He was the best thanks to the efficiency he had, especially in the Champions League, which allowed us to win it. I think he will win it and if not, it won’t It doesn’t matter. We continue, including him, forward.
Defeats in the Metropolitan
“It’s a very complicated stadium and we have to improve. That’s all. One hundred percent [hará mejorar]. We must avoid the mistakes we made last year. It’s pretty obvious. The defeat woke us up, we improved defensively and that could be good for us tomorrow.”
Racist insults in the derby
“We do not talk about this and do not give our opinion. We talk about the match, about its good preparation. Generally speaking, the Ministry of Justice is taking measures. This is a question that we do not have to worry about. There are other organizations that are dealing with this, because it is right that this is the case.”
Which derby do you like the most?
“All derbies are special. It depends on the culture of each country. It’s a lot like the Rome derby because the fans have a lot of passion and they show it in the matches. In that sense, the Milan derby is calmer. the man from the north is calmer than the man from the south (laughs)“.
