Having already secured their spot in the knockout rounds of the tournament, Real Madrid will face Napoli, the reigning champions of Serie A, in the UEFA Champions League tomorrow night. Real Madrid will be playing to their advantage.
The team coached by Carlo Ancelotti has advanced to the Round of 16 after recording four victories in their first four matches. However, they will be keen to continue their winning streak and avoid becoming complacent or relaxing, particularly considering that they have some important matches coming up in La Liga.
Dani Carvajal, a senior player for Real Madrid, was present at the pre-match news conference on the eve of the game. He was accompanied by Carlo Ancelotti, the manager of the team, and they covered a number of noteworthy topics.
The right-back was asked about the team’s strategy and attitude before to the match against Napoli, and he responded by saying, “Totally focused on the match against a very tough opponent, Napoli, and with the objective of finishing first in the group.”
Real Madrid is currently dealing with a number of ailments, and as a result, the squad will be without eight players for the match that will take place tomorrow.
Nevertheless, Carvajal felt that it may make it possible for players who have not been playing on a consistent basis to improve their performance, as he stated:
Although it is not a nice thing, it does make this possibility available to anyone who have a few minutes to spare, and in the end, it may bring the members of the dressing room closer together. I have no doubt that they will be of assistance to us.
When asked about injuries and the amount of effort that players have to do as a result of the fixture calendar, the Real Madrid defender responded as follows:
Due to the fact that prominent players from across the world are competing in Europe, it is true that the schedule is quite hard. We are not going to have a very good summer. Because there are an excessive number of games, it is not a surprise that there are a great number of injuries. It is quite challenging to be one hundred percent every three days.
Carvajal continued by saying, “I’m a player who doesn’t measure myself, and I don’t tend to give less than my maximum.” He was talking about his personal workload and condition. That you are familiar with your body and that you are aware of how you got there is a fact. In addition to that, I have already begun discussing it with the coach.
A question was also posed to the Spanish international on the predicament of Real Madrid’s fiercest rivals, Barcelona, who are scheduled to play FC Porto in the Champions League later on tonight.
“I’m not really sure about Barcelona…We are in close proximity to them in La Liga, and they are in the last 16 of the Champions League with one and a half foot of distance between us. “We are focused on our own endeavors, and if we happen to come into contact with them in a few months, we will make every effort to triumph over them,” he said.
There has been a lot of speculation over the future of Carlo Ancelotti, the manager of Real Madrid, but Carvajal has expressed his confidence that the Italian will remain with the club for a considerable amount of time, saying:
“I was a stranger to him when I first began working with him, and I had a hard time getting used to him. The majority of my time has been spent with Zizou. It is impossible for him to quit reimagining himself and getting ready for games. It is my opinion that he should be allowed to remain for as long as both he and the club want him to remain. Carlo is one of the few managers at Real Madrid who is capable of doing better than he does.
The following is his response to the question of whether or not the contract of Carlo Ancelotti ought to be renewed: “We all know about the issue of coaches in the world of football.” The course of the coaches’ careers will be determined by the outcomes. Without a doubt, I would have him renewed. Only a select few are capable of doing it.
“If you don’t win anything in this club, the head of the coach and the heads of some of the players roll and roll their heads.” The situation is the same here as it is with all of the major clubs.
Following that, the veteran defense spared some appreciation for the striker Rodrygo, who has been in excellent form from the beginning of the season, as he stated:
If you go three games without scoring, you are going to get a lot of criticism, and Rodrygo is aware that it is Madrid. It makes me happy that he has relieved himself of the responsibility of scoring goals. It is noticeable to the squad whenever he is on a roll and begins scoring goals. Because he is so kind to us, I really hope that this streak continues for a longer period of time.
Additionally, Carvajal praised the young prospects, Nico Paz and Gonzalo Garcia, who have just made their debut with the first-team setup. He said, “Madrid’s youth academy is the best in the world.” There are young people who are well-prepared. There are also other people who are exerting pressure from below.
Moreover, there was some admiration for the backup goalkeeper, Andriy Lunin, who has performed well in the absence of Kepa Arrizabalaga, as Carvajal stated:
Indeed, he is a professional in every sense of the word. It’s true that he’s an introvert. He does not let his feelings to get the better of him. He is capable of completing the assignment, and I want to congratulate him on that. It will be up to the coach to decide when Kepa will be fully healed. I want to applaud him and tell him to keep doing what he’s doing because he’s helping us score points.