Carlo Ancelotti believes Liverpool’s high-pressing strategy worked in favour of his Real Madrid side, allowing his team to secure a safe passage to the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
The holders sealed a 6-2 aggregate win after a 1-0 victory in the second leg, with Karim Benzema scoring the only goal. Ancelotti praised midfielders Toni Kroos and Luka Modric for controlling play, adding that Liverpool’s pressing up high cost them.
Madrid had tested Liverpool’s goalkeeper Alisson five times before Benzema tapped in to seal the joint-heaviest defeat on the Reds in a two-legged European tie. Madrid will reach the quarter-finals for the 19th time in the Champions League era, once more than Barcelona and second only to Bayern Munich.
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Ancelotti decided against making substitutions until after Benzema’s 78th-minute breakthrough, saying he was wary of Liverpool finding a route back into the tie. He explained that he liked the team and didn’t want to change for the sake of it.
Madrid had a late penalty appeal rejected following a VAR review in added time after a goal-bound shot hit Kostas Tsimikas’s arm, but Ancelotti had no complaints over the decision.
He added that he spoke with Liverpool’s coach Jurgen Klopp at the end of the game and they agreed that the rejected penalty appeal wasn’t a handball.
Ancelotti will take charge of a Champions League quarter-final for a 13th time, taking him ahead of Manchester United’s Alex Ferguson and level with Pep Guardiola, who managed Barcelona and Bayern Munich, for the most quarter-final appearances of any coach.
