Real Madrid kept alive their hopes of finishing in the top 8 of the league standings with a comfortable 5-1 win over RB Salzburg. It is also back-to-back Champions League victories for the defending champions, following their 3-2 success at Atalanta in December.
Real Madrid did not get off to the best start to the game and Rodrygo Goes' opening goal was actually their first shot on target. Prior to this, however, there was little panic from Carlo Ancelotti, as he told the media in the aftermath of Wednesday's match at the Santiago Bernabeu (via Diario AS).
“We have achieved the objective. Win and try to play a good game. A little white at first, but then we resolved it well. Of course, there is no doubt about the quality of what precedes it. We tried to solve the rest. Because the efficiency we have upfront is incredible. The other things need to be repaired. Sometimes we do well and sometimes less so. But we are doing well.”
Mads Bidstrup scored a late consolation for Salzburg, which was a minor blip on Real Madrid's record of the match. However, this was not a problem for Ancelotti.
“I'm not angry about the goal. We did well at the back. Rudiger was very good today, Alaba is back, Asencio is doing well. It is a collective problem. It's the key to this year. If we can commit ourselves collectively, we will be successful and benefit from the quality that has been delivered in advance.”
A minor point of concern for Real Madrid is Jude Bellingham, who was sacked early. The England midfielder appeared to be in pain on the bench after his substitution and Ancelotti confirmed it was a minor issue.
“He had a back problem, but nothing major. I had the opportunity to take minutes from someone and I took it away from Bellingham and Mbappé to be fresher.
Real Madrid take on Brest in their final match of the league stage, and a win would give them a good chance of finishing in the top 8, which would automatically mean they progress to the last 16. However, they need results to achieve their goal. for that to happen as they are currently ranked 16th.
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