Carlo Ancelotti has said that winning the match against Celta Vigo at the Santiago Bernabeu on Monday evening was the most important thing as Los Blancos look to keep apace with leaders Barcelona and Atletico de Madrid.
In their first match of 2014, Los Blancos began slowly, but eventually ran out 3-0 winners thanks to a goal from Karim Benzema and two from Cristiano Ronaldo, his 399th and 400th career goals.
Speaking at his press conference after the match, the Italian boss admitted his team wasn’t up to speed and will need to improve in coming matches if they are to catch the leaders and remain in the hunt for the La Liga crown. Barcelona and Atletico both have 49 points from their 18 matches so far, with Real five points behind on 44.
Ancelotti said: “The play was not that good in the first half, it was a little slow. After Christmas and the holidays it is normal for a team not to play with a lot of intensity. The most important thing was to win the match and we won well, especially with more intensity in the second half.
“The match showed that we had problems in defence and we need to improve the balance. But, to win the league, it is better to do it when you’re up to speed. We are five points behind and we have to try to make them up by playing better”.
