On Saturday night at San Mames, Real Madrid defeated Athletic Club 2-0 to start their 2023–24 La Liga season. The men in white managed to win despite the fact that the game was far from simple thanks to early goals from Rodrygo and Jude Bellingham.

Prior to the game, Carlo Ancelotti was in the spotlight as everyone anticipated the strategies he would use to counter the Basque team. After the game, he met with the media and discussed the goal scorers, the team’s chemistry, and the night’s injuries.

The manager started out by providing a summary of the action that took place during the game at San Mames, including the pros and drawbacks to learn from the performance.

“We performed admirably, particularly during the first half when we played with great intensity. We played better at the back despite slowing down and losing control in the second half.

He also complimented his team for working together to get the goal and made a brief statement about Real Madrid’s defensive tenacity.

It is obvious that our defense is stronger when the entire team is committed and has the correct attitude. The team was strategically sound and effective in the duels.

“We recovered a lot of balls in the first half. The crew is at ease with this strategy, andJude Bellingham, a club newcomer, received accolades from coach Ancelotti for his outstanding performance the night he scored his first goal for Real Madrid in a competitive match.

“He is exceptional. He has a lot of personality and has gotten used to the team’s system quite quickly. He appears to have been a part of our team for a while, and he is a highly talented player.

The manager emphasized Rodrygo Goes’ value to the club when discussing his ability to link up on the right side.

“He differs from Joselu in terms of his personality. On the right wing, he worked nicely with Carvajal and Valverde. He and Vini Jr. are both adjusting to the scheme quite well.

They are quite young and making good progress, but they must keep going in this direction. Regarding Rodrygo and Vinicius, he remarked, “Hopefully Rodrygo can score more goals this season than he did last season.

The manager also discussed the night’s injury to Eder Militao, admitting that the prognosis was not good at first.

“His knee was sprained. We will evaluate it in the ensuing hours because it doesn’t appear promising. I hope it’s nothing major. We’re worried, and nothing is off the table.

Due to Thibaut Courtois’ injury, Andriy Lunin started the game in goal, and he played well for the entire 90 minutes. The Ukrainian player was praised by the Italian coach, who said:

He performed quite well. He was quite composed and concentrated. He was adept at handling high balls and moved the ball well from the back. He displayed assurance and focus.

At Real Madrid, Toni Kroos and Luka Modric have always taken center stage. The two last night began the game on the sidelines before making brief appearances late in the game. The trainer reiterated his belief.