Carlo Ancelotti spoke to the media at the press conference ahead of the Madrid derby against Atlético Madrid on matchday 8 of LaLiga, which will be played at the Cívitas Metropolitano (Sunday, 9 pm CEST): “I'm expecting a hard, tough match against a great team. It always has been that way and it won't change tomorrow. It's always a very tough, competitive, hard-fought and entertaining match. Plus, the last few matches have been very entertaining and with a lot of goals, because both teams have players with great quality and it's going to be a spectacle.”
 
Bookings
“We've talked about it. There have been too many cards for protesting in the last few games and the only way to stop that happening is to prevent unnecessary protests.”
 
Camavinga
“He's available, he's trained and recovered well. He's in good condition. And when a player is available, he might play 90 minutes or zero minutes.”
 
Will Madrid be similar to last year's team?
“Bellingham's position depends a lot on the strategy we want to play. Obviously, without Mbappé it changes a bit but not much, because last year we played without him. It's a shame he won't be here for this game but we can manage his absence okay.”
 
Does he understand Atlético's grievance about having less rest?
“Yes, I understand that because it's happened to us so many times, most of them against Atlético. So I understand it.”
 
The team’s form
“The team has improved, especially considering the last game. I also consider the lapses of the last 10 minutes, but it was a game from a more solid, compact and more effective team. We've scored a lot more goals, all of good quality. We're on the right track. Tomorrow is a very important test in this respect. The team must be compact in this match.”
 
How does he see Atlético compared to last year and is it a special game?
“The match against Atlético is always special because it's a derby. All derbies in all countries are special. I think Atletico have improved a lot compared to last year. They've signed some very good players and they've strengthened their squad. They'll be fighting until the end for this league with us and with Barcelona.”
 
Formation without Mbappé
“I don't look too much at the system because a 4-3-3 can change. You can have a 4-4-2 with the same players. Adding one more midfielder doesn't mean we play a 4-4-2 or one more forward is a 4-3-3. Maybe with three forwards you play a 4-4-2 and put Vini Jr. or Rodrygo as a right winger. I don't pay much attention to this, what I do pay attention to for tomorrow's game is that the team shows solidarity and commitment.”
 
Visit to the Cívitas Metropolitano
“It's a tough match. Obviously, but every match has its own story. It's very difficult to predict what's going to happen tomorrow. We have a plan and we want to implement it, and we'll see if it goes well.”
 
Vini Jr. and the Ballon d'Or
“He deserves to get it for what he did last season. Especially in the Champions League, where he helped us win with his goals in the semi-finals and the final.”
 
What does the team need to change the run against Atlético?
“The Metropolitano is a tough stadium. We have to improve and that's it.”
 
Learning from last year's match
“Yes, 100%. We have to avoid last year's mistakes. It's quite obvious. The defeat woke us up, we've improved defensively and we can use that lesson well for tomorrow's game.”
 
What does he think about fans being allowed to wear masks to conceal who is being insulted?
“Obviously, we don't talk about this and we don't give our opinion on this. Just about the game and preparing well for it. Generally speaking, the justice system takes decisions and measures, especially in the last week. It's an issue we don't have to worry about. We're not concerned about that, other organisations are concerned about this and it's only fair that it should be so. Tomorrow is going to be a spectacle and entertaining because both teams have top-level players and they'll put all their quality into making it a great spectacle.”
 
What makes this Madrid derby different from other derbies around the world?
“They're all special, it depends on the culture of the country. Here it's a derby that is very similar to the one in Rome because the fans have a lot of passion for their team and they display it in the match. The Milan derby is much calmer, because the people in the north are colder than the people in the south.”