Ancelotti: “If you have Joselu, you need to concentrate more” | Soccer | Sports

The last time Joselu Mato scored in the Champions League, two weeks ago against Naples, he ended up asking for forgiveness at the Bernabéu. That night, it took him nine shots to finally hit the target in the 94th minute. He had been in a limbo for several weeks and the attacker, rather than celebrating, was remembering what he had left behind. This Tuesday, when he gave Madrid the advantage at 1-2, some also looked to the past with his cry of rage and his punch on the ground. Over the past two months he had barely managed to hold his own against the Italians, and in this way.

“I needed a match like this,” admitted the 33-year-old striker, who nevertheless assured that he was satisfied with his season. “I have eight goals in mid-December, the first round is not even over. I know where I am, what I came for and what I can bring. “You must never lose face,” he commented after scoring his first double in the white jersey.

The key to victory in Berlin was, according to Carlo Ancelotti, to look for it more after the break. “In the first half we played very good football, but we had very little concentration. And when you have an attacker of this structure, you have to at least put in seven or eight well-made crosses. In the first, (Joselu) finished well (he crashed into the top of the crossbar) and in the second he scored two goals”, underlined the Italian coach, who repeatedly insisted on this idea .

The instruction at half-time to come back was to reach out further to get more crosses. The first goal came from a shot from the right by Rodrygo (Unión Berlin committed a foul on the shot) and the second, from a ball from the left from Fran García. “It was what we had to do,” the white coach returned to the fray. “He’s a great finisher in the region. Sometimes you have to take advantage of your qualities more, like in the second part. This gives us different characteristics.

Joselu could also have taken the penalty which Modric missed with 0-0. He is one of the main pitchers. At the start of the course, Ancelotti even cited him as first on the list. In Berlin, the Croatian took it and Frederik Ronnow eliminated him with his feet. There is a case in Madrid with maximum sentences. Fourth to throw since preseason and fourth to miss with four different shooters. Vinicius failed to score in the pre-season against Barcelona; Rodrygo, in Vigo; Joselu himself, against Osasuna at home; and this Tuesday, the Balkans in Berlin.

“Finding a reason is complicated,” Carletto said. “Luka (Modric) is usually cold and marks him. He has failed to score twice (the other against Al Ahly last season in the Club World Cup). Repeat (penalties) is not so simple, because it is an environmental problem. In training, we try with Bellingham, Rodrygo, Vinicius, Joselu… What can I tell you? I hope that can change,” commented the Reggiolo coach, who left Germany with the record for victories by a Madrid coach in the European Cup: 42 in 56 matches, one more than Miguel Muñoz in 71 matches. The Italian’s winning percentage amounts to 75%. In this group, the white team achieved complete success, for the third time in the Champions League format.

During the trip to Berlin, the coach did not go beyond the selective breaks. Europe is not the place for massive turnover in Madrid, not even reaching the final day with an assured lead against rookie Unión Berlin and with several players loaded with minutes due to the vast loss record. Not even like that. Ancelotti saved coins, but in moderation. Among the regulars, only Kroos, Rüdiger and Mendy remained in the departure waiting room. At halftime, the German midfielder gave Oxygen to Valverde and later the German central defender gave Alaba a respite. For Bellingham, however, there is no respite. He exhausted the whole evening and in the 89th minute he opened a clearing in the forest for Ceballos to score the third. “There was no risk,” the technician said.

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