Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti insisted he was happy with the performances of Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema in his side`s 2-1 win over Juventus, despite both looking far from their best.
|Last Updated: Oct 24, 2013, 02:37 PM IST|Source: AFP
Madrid: Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti insisted he was happy with the performances of Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema in his side`s 2-1 win over Juventus, despite both looking far from their best.
Bale replaced Benzema with 25 minutes to go on Wednesday after the Frenchman had missed an incredible chance to make it 3-1 to the hosts.
However, Ancelotti lauded Benzema`s defensive contribution and blamed Bale`s lack of an impact on the lack of intensity his team in general showed in the second half.
"I want to say something about Benzema. I asked him to help the team a lot defensively in tracking (Andrea) Pirlo," he said.
"With three central midfielders, Pirlo is hard for our midfielders to get up to press.
"Benzema didn`t score, but he worked very well for the team and I am satisfied with his performance.
"Bale came on when the game lacked intensity and that didn`t help him to play better.
"His physical condition is better and he is now ready to start a game."
Despite moving to the brink of qualification with their third win in three Champions League games, Ancelotti admitted his frustration with Real`s display after the break as they played the majority of the half against 10 men.
Two goals from Cristiano Ronaldo either side of Fernando Llorente`s equaliser had put the hosts in command at the break.
And their stranglehold on the game was strengthened when Giorgio Chiellini was harshly shown a straight red card for a foul on Ronaldo just three minutes after the restart.
However, Madrid failed to press home their man advantage and were left hanging on towards the end as Juve pushed in search of a point.
"I liked the attitude of the team and how we played in spells.
"I didn`t like how we ended the game though. We needed to have more intensity.
"We didn`t need to go and score more goals, but we should have had more control."
Juve boss Antonio Conte, meanwhile, was less than pleased with the performance of German referee Manuel Graefe.
"It is obvious the game was conditioned by some of the referee`s decisions," he said.
"We were playing against a great side, but we also had little help this evening."
The defeat leaves the Italian champions in some difficulty as regards qualifying for the last 16 with just two points from their opening three games.
Galatasaray now lead Juventus by two points and the Turkish champions will host Conte`s men in the final game in the group.
However, Conte believes his side showed enough quality over the 90 minutes at the Bernabeu to suggest they will still make it through.
"Now we have a difficult Champions League in front of us.
"Today with 10 players we showed great physical and tactical energy.
"It will be tough, but we still depend on ourselves."
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.