In this round La Liga, nine-man Real Madrid lost 0-2 to Celta at home. After the game, Celta manager Carlos Carvalhal accepted media interviews.
Evaluate Celta's defensive performance today?
If you don’t defend well, you can’t survive in La Liga, let alone face a team like Real Madrid at the Bernabéu. Obviously, we performed very well defensively in this game. I think there are two or three areas where we can improve on details, and the other two or three instances were purely a reflection of their ability. Our original idea was to strengthen the protection of the right flank and let Stafylidis provide more cover defensively, and the team executed it well. When we were in a low block, the team maintained a high level of focus and organization.
How intense was Real Madrid's pressing today?
When Real Madrid's players are in top form, it’s hard for us to break through their pressing. They can also waste a lot of time through pressing with extremely wide coverage. We made some mistakes in judging certain goal kicks and failed to find open players.
Is Iago Aspas the player who causes the most trouble for Real Madrid's defense?
He is very intelligent in reading the game and pressing the opponent's defensive players. He brings us a lot of help both in attack and defense, not to mention his ability to hold up the ball with his back to goal and drive the team forward.
What do you think of Xabi Alonso? Can Real Madrid win the league title under him?
Undoubtedly, he is an excellent coach with a lot of capable people in his coaching staff, and the squad at his disposal is luxurious. Unfortunately, he has been unlucky with constant defensive injuries. Alonso has many cards to play and can change the game’s direction through offensive and defensive adjustments. Obviously, he is also adapting and adjusting to the system left by Ancelotti after his many years in charge, but time is very important for a coach—Real Madrid can’t find a better coach than him.
How much of this victory is due to Celta's own merit, and how much stems from Real Madrid's mistakes?
For any team to win, it’s a combination of their own merit and the opponent’s mistakes. I mainly focus on our own performance and talk about what I like and dislike. When we had the man advantage, we were a bit hesitant about whether to pursue a second goal or consolidate the situation with the numerical superiority—that’s something I’m not satisfied with. I hope we can create more chances away from our own goal. Real Madrid also did well, creating many opportunities and having periods where they pressed us hard; they could have easily gotten a better result. The score often masks the bright spots of the losing side and exaggerates the performance of the winning side, which isn’t always completely fair.
Can beating Real Madrid at the Bernabéu silence the doubts about Celta?
When we lose our next game, the doubts will come back. We were once the "ridiculous team" in some people’s mouths, and now we’re not the so-called "dream team" either. We’re just a team that won one game—having lost two before and played an extra-time Copa del Rey knockout match. The unity in the dressing room remains intact.
