Real Madrid’s Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti gestures as he celebrates his team’s victory during the UEFA Champions League final football match between Liverpool and Real Madrid at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, north of Paris, on May 28, 2022. (Photo by Anne-Christine POUJOULAT / AFP) (Photo by ANNE-CHRISTINE POUJOULAT/AFP via Getty Images)
Real Madrid star answers critics with performance vs Athletic Bilbao by Sourav Mahanty
Real Madrid seem to be getting their season back on track after a rough few weeks. The comeback 3-2 win over Villarreal seems to be just the confidence booster that this side needed, and they have followed it up with a 2-0 victory against Athletic Bilbao away at San Mames, to keep the gap with Barcelona at three points.
Karim Benzema and Toni Kroos got their names on the scoresheet but there were several other players whose performances on the day deserved praise.
Of course, that has not been the case in most of Real Madrid’s recent games, as they have looked sluggish and out of ideas. And they were nowhere near their best vs Athletic Bilbao either, but it was still a step in the right direction.
Carlo Ancelotti appeared to be very impressed by Eduardo Camavinga on the day and highlighted his performance while speaking after the match. As reported by AS, when asked about Benzema, the Real Madrid boss said:
“He has returned with all his quality. It brings us a lot and we are very satisfied. Personally I also want to highlight Camavinga; spectacular game.”
Ancelotti gives special praise to Real Madrid star after win vs Athletic Bilbao
Camavinga has had an up and down season till now, and has struggled for minutes on the pitch for the majority of the campaign.
The French midfielder seems to have raised his game up a notch or two since after the World Cup break, and while those around him have seemed to struggle, Camavinga has been one of the better performers for Real Madrid along with Thibaut Courtois.
One could argue that he put in another Man of the Match display against Athletic Bilbao and on current form, it will be tough to keep him out of the team.
Thus, it will be very interesting to see how Ancelotti lines his players up when Aurelien Tchouameni is back from his spell on the sidelines due to injury. Competition for places is always a great thing though.