Ancelotti unhappy with Real Madrid’s draw against Sociedad

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti admitted that his team did not fully deserve their 2-0 win over Real Sociedad, a victory secured by second-half penalties from Vinicius Jr. and Kylian Mbappe. Despite the result, Ancelotti stressed that Real Sociedad fought hard and the game became difficult for his team.

“It was a tough game. We didn’t deserve to win because Real Sociedad really put us under pressure,” Ancelotti said at a press conference. “But we persevered, endured their pressure and showed great character and effort. That is something I really appreciate because it is not easy to find so much effort in a team with so much talent. Today we did just that.”

Ancelotti was pleased with the result, noting that while there were areas that needed improvement, the three points were crucial. “We have to be self-critical and use this as an opportunity to assess what we didn’t do well, but at least we now have three more points on the table,” he added.

Real Madrid remain second in La Liga with 11 points, just one point behind leaders Barcelona. Barcelona play fifth-placed Girona on Sunday.

The Real Madrid manager admitted that the team was struggling with fatigue and a dip in form, which he said was to be expected given the busy schedule and recent international break. Despite these challenges, Ancelotti noted improvements in Kylian Mbappe’s performance, with the French striker scoring his third goal for the club in this match.

“We can discuss all aspects of this game, but the key was to secure the win,” said Ancelotti, who was without several key midfielders, including Jude Bellingham, Eduardo Camavinga, Dani Ceballos and Aurelien Tchouameni. “I appreciate the effort of the players who stepped in during this difficult phase.”

Ancelotti also praised Mbappe’s progress, saying: “He seemed fresher and more committed. He is very dangerous and harmonises well with Vinicius and the other attackers. He is making great progress and I was very pleased with his performance today.”

Real Madrid is now focusing on the Champions League, where the title defense begins on Tuesday against Stuttgart.