Despite fans and players celebrating qualification to the UEFA Champions League quarter finals following a hard fought win against Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti was more concerned with his side’s performance than the result.
Los Blancos wrapped up a 4-2 victory in a penalty shootout after the tie ended 2-2 on aggregate.
Ancelotti was however disappointed that his side let in a goal inside the first minute that brought the contest at level matters as he insisted on more sharpness as they gear up to face Arsenal for a spot in the last four of Europe’s premiere competition.
“I have tried to explain to my players that the priority was not to make the game more complicated than it already was,” Ancelotti said in a press conference.
“We made it more difficult by losing unnecessary balls that constantly found us out of position… If they scored 2-0, then the game could have got out of control… We played better as the game progressed, had our chances, but we need to improve in our focus and concentration.
“We always have to look for improvement. The tie was evenly matched and a mistake could have been costly. We wanted to finish the game before penalties, sure, but here we are, still fighting and in contention, as is customary at this club.”
