Ancelotti: 'Real confirms its position in La Liga'

Spain According to coach Carlo Ancelotti, Real affirmed their strength in the La Liga championship race with a 4-0 victory over second-placed club Girona.

"This victory is an important message for Real in the race for the La Liga title, because Girona are very strong, and have never lost away from home," Ancelotti said after the match. "Real have a five-point lead at this stage of the season, but that's all, it's a small advantage. We are in a good position, but we need to continue to show commitment and the right attitude, especially with the Champions League coming back."

Coach Ancelotti directs Real Madrid's 4-0 win over Girona at Bernabeu Stadium, Madrid in round 24 of La Liga on February 10. Photo: Reuters

Before round 24, Girona had not lost away from home, while Real had not lost at home. But only the royal team maintained this unbeaten record. At the Bernabeu on the evening of February 10, Real created a one-sided game when they controlled the ball 54% of the time, shot 16 times with six on target, while Girona only shot five times and all missed the target.

Real dominated and scored four goals thanks to Vinicius, Rodrygo and a double from Jude Bellingham. Real could have won by a bigger margin if they had capitalized on their chances. Most notably, Brahim Diaz missed a one-on-one in the 83rd minute and Joselu missed a penalty in injury time. However, the 4-0 win was enough for Real to consolidate their position at the top of La Liga with 61 points, extending the gap with Girona to five points.

According to Ancelotti, Real approached the match with a high pressing tactic, one-on-one to regain control right in the opponent's half. The Italian coach assessed the whole team as having a perfect performance in all aspects, from defense to attack.

Vinicius shone brightly, contributing to all four of Real's goals. The Brazilian striker scored once, assisted two and finished for Bellingham's other goal. Ancelotti praised Vinicius as the best player in the world for his outstanding form.

The only blemish in the win over Girona was Bellingham being replaced by Brahim Diaz after 57 minutes after picking up an injury. Ancelotti said the England midfielder has a sprained ankle and will undergo further tests. He hopes his player can return in time for the away trip to RB Leipzig in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16 on February 14.

Bellingham suffered an ankle injury early in the second half and had to leave the field. Photo: AS

At the Bernabeu yesterday, Real was without all four of their best central defenders, Nacho, David Alaba, Antonio Rudiger, Eder Militao, due to injury and had to use the duo Aurelien Tchouameni and Dani Carvajal in the center of defense. Ancelotti said Real had no other choice and hoped Nacho could return in the match against Leipzig.

Meanwhile, coach Michel admitted that Girona has only reached the same level as Valencia or Real Betis and is still far from Real, especially when the opponent is at its best. "Girona is still developing. In the world, there are only four or five teams that can compete with Real. When they play like today, it is difficult to stop them," he said.

Hong Duy

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