Carlo Ancelotti makes ‘cheating’ claim following Liverpool’s defeat to Real Madrid
Carlo Ancelotti believed that Real Madrid was using psychological tactics to gain an advantage as they inflicted another European disappointment on Liverpool.
The Reds were beaten by the Spanish team in the Champions League for the fourth time in six years, losing 6-2 on aggregate in this season’s last 16 round.
Liverpool faced an almost insurmountable challenge in the second leg at the Santiago Bernabeu after suffering a 5-2 defeat to Real Madrid in the first leg at Anfield.
Despite this, the Reds failed to mount a comeback and lost without putting up much resistance, with Karim Benzema scoring in the 78th minute to secure a 1-0 victory for Madrid and an easy passage into the quarter-finals.
Ancelotti praised his team for maintaining their intensity and not letting Liverpool have any chance of staging an unlikely comeback.
The Real boss told Movistar (via AS): “Pressing up has cost them. [Luka] Modric and [Toni] Kroos handle this type of match very well. They get the ball out very well from behind.
The team was fine, if not to change for the sake of changing. He wanted the changes to stop the game at the end. We played well every minute. Always concentrated. Without risking… well, we are happy.
“I liked the team. On a psychological level, it is cheating. We had a three-goal lead and we haven’t slowed down on the accelerator”.
Carlo Ancelotti makes ‘cheating’ claim following Liverpool’s defeat to Real Madrid
