Real Madrid made it safely through to the last 16 of the Copa del Rey on Saturday evening. Despite a scoreless first half, they took control in the second period, and ended up coming away with a 3-1 victory.
Arandina made life difficult for the reigning champions at times, and Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti was impressed with the lower-league side, as he told the media in his post-match assessment (via Diario AS).
“They tried to play as best they could. In the first half they had more chances and in the second half they lowered their physical level a bit. They played a game like the one I would have done if I was on the other side.”
The big story of the match for Real Madrid was Arda Guler’s long-awaited debut. The Turkish starlet was excellent in the first half, but despite the promising display, Ancelotti is keen to keep a lid on expectations.
“He played an hour at a good level. Obviously he’s not at the physical level. He’s shown his quality. He showed it in the first half. I’ve already said you have to be patient with him.
“He has personality, he has character. This is good. He stands out for the quality he has with his feet, but it’s also important to have character to do well at Real Madrid.”
Real Madrid and Ancelotti will now turn their attention towards next week’s Spanish Super Cup, which kicks off for them on Wednesday as they face off with Atletico Madrid in their semi-final tie in Riyadh.