Carlo Ancelotti is confident Real Madrid can turn around their 2-1 deficit against Juventus at the Santiago Bernabeu next week.
The holders lost the first leg of the Champions League semi-final first leg in Turin, with former Los Blancos forward Alvaro Morata opening the scoring and Carlo Tevez adding a second for the Old Lady. Cristiano Ronaldo’s all important away goal could well be crucial though.
Speaking to reporters after the game, Ancelotti stated: “We could have played better, throughout the game we tried to play efficiently and with quality. We wanted to control the match but were unlucky with the counterattack that made it 2-1. 1-1 would have been a good result.”
Asked about the return leg, the Italian commented: “This result does not fill us with joy but we are confident about turning things around in the Santiago Bernabéu. We looked good when we passed the ball around and carved out chances, but Juventus are dangerous on the break.”
Real were below their best on the night, and in particular Sergio Ramos, who played in midfield again, as well as Gareth Bale, who once again come in for fierce criticism.
But Ancelotti defended his players, saying: “We made more mistakes than usual today, not just Sergio. We had problems at the back because of the pressure Juve were putting on us high up the pitch. He did a good job, like he has in previous matches.
“I subbed Bale because he was tired and is still coming back from an injury. He is too important a player for us and when a player is tired there is more risk of him getting injured so I prefer to avoid any such problems.”
