What did Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti say after the LaLiga victory away to Girona?

Real Madrid are back on top of LaLiga after a resounding 3-0 victory away to Girona on Saturday, which saw Carlo Ancelotti’s side leapfrog both the Catalans and Barcelona in the standings. Joselu, Aurélien Tchouaméni and Jude Bellingham were amongst the goals at Montilivi and the Italian was unsurprisingly pleased with his team’s showing against a side who had previously only dropped two points in their opening seven matches of the season.

Speaking initially in a flash interview with Real Madrid TV, the Italian was full of praise for an improved defensive showing and also singled out Eduardo Camavinga, who played at left-back and Tchouaméni.

Ancelotti happy with reaction after derby defeat to Atlético Madrid

Defensive solidity: “We focused on being solid in defence. Girona are a team that attack very well, and we closed the lines effectively. The defence played very well with the help of the midfield.”

A deserved win: “The team performed well, we were both solid and clinical. We knew we could cause them problems. Girona plays good football. We hurt them when we could and were in control in defensive phases of play. Being solid is the most important thing in these matches.”

What did you like about the team’s attack? “We moved the ball well in the opposition half. Vinicius played out wide and Bellingham caused problems with his positioning. As we pushed forward, it turned into a game of counterattacks.”

Camavinga and Tchouaméni: “He has enthusiasm, energy, eagerness to run. I didn’t want to risk the other two full-backs. It’s an option for us. I really liked Tchouaméni, who scored his first goal for Madrid and had a fantastic game.”

Top of LaLiga: “It’s still early, but we reacted well after losing in the derby. We showed determination. We are happy.”

No risks taken with Vinícius after injury

In his official post-match press conference, Ancelotti then expanded on his initial thoughts and also commented on Vinícius’ return to action after a hamstring injury, Jude Bellingham’s positional change and Nacho’s moment of madness that saw him sent off late on.

A complete performance: “Above all, I want highlight the team’s defensive work. We had chances to hurt them, but Girona play really good soccer. Defending well is crucial.”

Vinícius substituted after 68 minutes: “He’s fine, he wanted to play more, but I didn’t want to take any risks. He’s lacking a bit of spark because he hasn’t played for a month, but these 70 minutes have been good for him.”

Nacho sent off after ugly Portu challenge

Nacho’s red card: “He wasn’t thinking clearly. We have apologised and we hope the Girona player is OK. Nacho knows he was wrong, he’s hurt and sad. But nobody should doubt that he’s a fair player, he always has been.”

Bellingham’s change of position: “We didn’t want Vinícius to have to do much defensive work so we played Bellingham in a wide position, with Tchouaméni close to the centre-backs to stop them from counterattacking. Bellingham played wider than in other games, but the team’s defensive performance was good.

Camavinga at left-back: “Mendy hadn’t played for a long time, and I thought about bringing in Fran (García), but I wanted to play Vini out wide and needed someone like Camavinga behind him to hold his position to defend against them.”