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Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has said that the defeat against Valencia in the La Liga was just a one-off and that the team was bound to lose a game or two in a season. Madrid were beaten 2-1 at the Estadio de Mestalla on Sunday, which brought to an end a 22-match winning streak across all competitions. Despite the loss, Los Blancos maintain their top spot in the table with 39 points from 16 games.
"Today's defeat was going to happen sooner or later.We are well placed in La Liga. We are in a lot of competitions. This defeat will not affect us because behind the scenes we are working very well. We have been doing well up until now, and we will do well again after this defeat. We should not forget what we have done," Ancelotti said.
The former Chelsea boss praised his team’s performance, saying that had they found some luck going their way, the scoreline might have been different.
"I thought the team did well. We played a good game, but we did not have the luck to score when we could have made it 2-0 or 2-1. There is nothing to do about the style of the team or the work we are doing. We had key chances which we did not finish. In football, this can happen. We did not score, but this does not say anything. The whole team's work was very good," the 55-year-old said.
Valencia fought well on the night: Ancelotti
He didn't take away any credit away from Valencia, who with this win are now in fourth place with 34 points in 17 games.
"Valencia were a strong team, and we had prepared well.Congratulations to Valencia who fought a lot. The referee had a good game. It was a difficult game with pressure from the fans, and many tough challenges. Valencia are a solid team with a lot of quality," he said.
Madrid’s next fixture is against Atletico Madrid in the Copa del Rey on Wednesday, a game that could see Fernando Torres make his club debut for the defending champions. Ancelotti didn't reveal too much about the possible starting line-up for that game.
“For Wednesday, we have to think about putting out the best team possible.In the physical aspect, the team was good today, above all at the end of the game," the Italian said.
