Ancelotti: Atletico surprised us a bit with the 4-4-2 system

– Why shouldn’t I laugh after such a match? No, no, I’m very happy. He was a strong competitor and we managed the match well based on the calm, self-confidence, solidity from the back and skill in attacking that we had during this period. We didn’t get many opportunities, but we were effective.

– Is that how I imagined this match? We didn’t have to put too much pressure on them because they played a lot of long balls and tried to find a spot behind the defensive line. Initially they played 4-4-2 which surprised us a bit. Accordingly more pressure had to be exerted by the side players. After the first goal, we already controlled it well.

– What was my favorite match? Motric. Motric, three points, solid defense, clean sheet, courtesy of Courtois, Vinicius … there were many good things.

– Did Bernabeu admire Motricia as much as I did? I think so. With the ball, without the ball, he pulls off a fantastic game in every aspect of personality, quality, character. An extraordinary football player.

– Stan Benzema? He was fine yesterday. By the end of the first half he felt too much burden and wanted to avoid danger. It was like Carvajal, it had a little load on it and I wanted to remove it.

– What does the lead in the table tell me? That we have been doing well so far. We had a good series and good dynamics. Our only problem is the league is not over. We have 21 more games, so we’re glad we did and keep watching.

– Am I removing Atletico from the fight for the championship? I did not delete anyone. Atletico has quality, personality, character and commitment. Atletico will never die.