Carlo Ancelotti spoke to the press gathered at Real Madrid City on the eve of his side's LaLiga matchday 28 encounter with Villarreal at the Estadio de la Cerámica (Saturday, 6:30 pm CET): “We're still recovering. Barely any time has passed since our last game and not everyone has recovered. We'll be better shape tomorrow. It's something we have to consider in preparing a game against very tough opposition. We'll have to play a smart game if we want to win it.”

“We have to put in an extra effort. We won't have the usual freshness, because we haven't had enough time, so we'll have to show quality, a good attitude, and be smart about it. There's not only one way of winning. We have to play a smart match."

Few days rest
“I don't understand it, but we can't do anything about it. We have to play the match. The minimum recovery period should be 72 hours. It's the schedule we have, I hope that one day we can change it."

Vini Jr.'s absence from training
“We've given him an extra day because he's still very fatigued. He'll be available tomorrow and ready to help us. He's not got any specific problem, it's just tiredness."

“Vini is a key player for us. He might have better or worse games, but I he's never in doubt. He's been such a fundamental player for this club that his presence is never in doubt."

Asencio gets Spain call-up
“We celebrated it, it's great news for him. He deserves it for the work he's doing and the discipline he's shown since he came in. He's done a fantastic job and been very committed. I hope this is the first of many call-ups for him."

Schedule
“We haven't stopped playing every three days since January. It's the middle of March now and it's too much for me even, and I'm not playing. There's no time to recover from the pressure of the games, but there's nothing I can do about it. The only way to put an end to it is to stop, but I don't want to do that because I enjoy what I do. The less important things are prioritised, like TV rights, money... The players' recovery and risk of injury is an after-thought."



Julián Álvarez's penalty
“For us, the game is over and we're happy to be in the quarter-finals. We're focusing on the next game. We're coming to the end of a period with loads of matches and we want to close out strongly to head into the international break on a high."

Would he change the rule?
“I have no idea what I'd do because I'm not in the position. It's the rule, and it has to be respected."

Assessment of the season so far
“Despite the difficulties, we're in March and still alive in the three most important competitions, LaLiga, the Champions League and the Copa del Rey, fighting to win them. That hasn't been the case in the last three years, so it's a very positive sign. We have to improve, of course, but we're doing a good job."

On Endrick
“He didn't come on to take a penalty. Vinicius was exhausted and I wanted some fresh legs."

Motivation
“You have to push the players a bit more from a motivational point of view ahead of a game like tomorrow, than you do for a Champions League round of 16 clash. The motivation is already there for those kinds of games. It'll be a case of pushing the team a little more tomorrow."