Highlights: La Liga: Ancelotti Unhappy with Real Madrid’s Draw Against Sociedad

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti admitted that his team didn’t fully deserve their 2-0 victory over Real Sociedad, a win secured by second-half penalties from Vinicius Jr and Kylian Mbappe. Despite the result, Ancelotti highlighted that Real Sociedad put up a tough fight, making the match difficult for his side.

“It was a tough game. We didn’t deserve to win outright because Real Sociedad really pushed us,” Ancelotti said in a press conference. “But we held on, endured their pressure, and showed great character and commitment. That’s something I highly value because it’s not easy to find such commitment in a team with so much talent. Today, we did just that.”

Ancelotti expressed satisfaction with the result, noting that while there were areas that needed improvement, securing the three points was crucial. “We have to be self-critical and use this as a chance 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 in second place in La Liga with 11 points, trailing leaders Barcelona by just one point. Barcelona are set to play fifth-placed Girona on Sunday.

The Real Madrid boss acknowledged that the team has been dealing with fatigue and a dip in form, which he said was expected due to a busy schedule and the recent international break. Despite these challenges, Ancelotti noted improvements in Kylian Mbappe’s performance, with the French forward scoring his third goal for the club in the match.

“We can discuss all the issues related to 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 value the effort of the players who stepped in during this challenging period.”

Ancelotti also praised Mbappe’s progress, stating, “He looked fresher, more involved. He’s very dangerous and combines well with Vinicius and the other attackers. He’s improving a lot, and I really liked his performance today.”

Real Madrid will now shift their focus to the Champions League, where they will begin their title defense against Stuttgart on Tuesday.