"I don't see any negatives" - Ancelotti makes honest admission after Real Madrid's hard-fought 1-0 win against Rayo Vallecano

Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti hailed his side for their narrow 1-0 La Liga win over Rayo Vallecano on Saturday.

Despite Los Blancos struggling to take all three points at the Esdadio de Vallecas, the Italian manager said that he was proud of his team’s performance. The win meant Madrid stayed six points clear of second-placed Sevilla, with only 12 games left to play.

Speaking to the press after the match, Ancelotti said via Managing Madrid:

“Maybe I’m wrong, but I don’t see any negatives. I’m very happy. To say we won because of (Thibaut) Courtois is wrong. We won because we were better. I’m happy with the commitment shown here at this difficult stadium, where few teams have won all season. This match had to be the way it was. We tried to press higher in this game. and we’ll keep working on that.”

Los Blancos look good to win their second La Liga title in three years. However, they will hope to be more decisive up front when they take on PSG in the second leg of their Champions League Round of 16 bout in Madrid on March 9. The Ligue 1 giants hold a slender 1-0 advantage from the first leg in Paris.

Ancelotti will hope his team can click into gear in the final stage of the season as he hopes to lead the illustrious club to even more glory.

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Karim Benzema the difference between Real Madrid and Rayo Vallecano

Real Madrid CF vs Valencia CF - La Liga Santander

Spanish giants Real Madrid struggled to secure a late win away at Rayo Vallecano in La Liga this weekend.

Los Blancos created many chances throughout the game, but failed to convert them. Eventually, they needed an 83rd-minute strike from talismanic striker Karim Benzema to seal the win. It was the Frenchman's league-leading 19th strike of the campaign and 26th across competitions. He has also bagged 11 assists this season.

However, Madrid will have to convert their chances better if they hope to be crowned champions of Spain again at the end of the campaign. The Spanish giants will host Real Sociedad at the Bernabeu on March 5 before welcoming PSG four days later.