"Mbappe couldn't train for 3 days because of his toothache"

Carlo Ancelotti made a positive assessment of his team's 2-1 win against Atletico, in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16, in which he assured that they acquired “a slender lead” that gives them “confidence for the second leg” next Wednesday at the Metropolitano.

“I'll stay with the match, it was a difficult game, imagine what it could be like on Wednesday. They are evenly matched games, they are round of 16 but it could be a semifinal or a final. Atletico is a top level team in Europe and you can't think about securing the tie here. We have taken a slender lead that gives us confidence for the second leg,” he said at the press conference.

Ancelotti justified the low-key performance of Vinicius and Mbappe, whom he thanked for their defensive work. “It wasn't the idea to press too much. Atletico had control of the game as we had, but they didn't create us many chances”.

“Playing against Atletico's defence is not easy. We haven't had many chances between Vini and Mbappe, only one final between the two that could have ended better. They have worked, they have fought, they have not shown the quality they have but there is the second leg to do so,” he assured.

Ancelotti ruled out that the Frenchman is playing with some muscular problem that conditions him, having missed a game due to the extraction of a tooth. “The truth is that he has not been able to work much, because the toothache has not allowed him to train for three days. He arrived at the match against Betis not in his best condition. It was good for him to rest to be well for the next game.”

“He was fine, he didn't have any problems. His work and that of Vini have made the rest of the team solid, organised at the back. When they get in a good position, they allow the two midfielders to be closer to the defence and help them,” he said.

Finally, he acknowledged that his team felt the physical fatigue in the last minutes, but he considered the result a good one. “In the last minutes there could have been fatigue. It gave us more peace of mind to score the third, but we have to fight just the same in the second leg. Not much changes with this slender lead because it will be just as complicated. We have time to prepare well,” he concluded.

 

March 4, 2025