Real Madrid captain Federico Valverde praised his team and coach Mourinho after their 3-2 victory over AEK Athens in the Champions League.
Valverde said on the Movistar channel after the match: “It was a difficult match as we expected, but we had difficulty reaching the goal despite controlling the game, so I congratulate my team for its effort and work, and we must continue in the same way.”
Regarding Real Madrid’s faltering start and falling behind twice, the Uruguayan player said: “We were affected by conceding an early goal, but we continued to play with the same plan that we practiced throughout the week.”
He added: “We were in good condition despite the difficulties after receiving every goal, and we made a great effort, so I am happy for the team.”
Federico touched on the comeback in the result, saying: “The credit goes to the technical staff led by Mourinho, and the trust in each other. This is wonderful, and it was clear that we continued trying until the last minutes.”
He continued: “The task seemed very difficult after receiving a second goal, but the team succeeded in returning again.”
Federico concluded by talking about his deadly goal, saying: “I think a lot about long shots. I am grateful to my teammates. Because thanks to them, I have a strong desire to shoot.”
Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois praised his team's mental toughness after their difficult victory over AEK Athens, 3-2, on Wednesday evening, in the Champions League.
Courtois said on the Movistar channel, after the match that was held in the Greek capital: “We knew that it would be a difficult match here. This is a team that plays aggressively and presses hard at the beginning. They had 4 chances in the first 15 minutes.”
The Belgian goalkeeper added: “But we dealt with the situation well and succeeded in equalizing. Our reaction was positive, and we held on to the hope of returning until the last moments.”
He continued: “I do not know the secret of this comeback. It is about faith until the end. This is a distinctive feature of Real Madrid. We never give up, as happened in the Roma match, and we achieved an important victory as part of our quest to finish the league stage among the first 8 clubs in the standings.”
When asked about his Brazilian colleague Vinicius Junior’s need for confidence, Courtois replied: “Yes, but the entire team trusts him, and the Greek team defended well and made the task difficult for everyone, whether Vinicius or Kylian Mbappe.”
Courtois concluded his statements: “Coach Mourinho rotates the squad and gives everyone their chance, and this is a good thing.”
Portuguese coach Ruben Amorim, coach of Italian AC Milan, wants his players to push opponents into their penalty area and keep the ball there, acknowledging that this is the biggest problem facing the team.
Milan will host the Hungarian team Ferencvaros on Thursday in the fourth round of the European League.
Despite Milan's inconsistent performance this season, they won their last league match against their city rival, Inter, which gave them a huge morale boost.
Milan occupies fifth place in the Italian League standings, and has suffered only one defeat in ten matches it played in the competition. But his record in the European Championships looks much worse; He achieved one victory and suffered two defeats.
In the match against Inter, the team showed noticeable improvement, but when Amorim was asked how close the team was to the identity it aspires to see, he replied, saying: “You always ask when we will reach the top.” Even if we win all our matches, we will never feel that we have reached the top. We need to continue improving and developing.”
He added: “We already have a clear identity; We seek to impose our control over the matches. Sometimes we succeed, sometimes we don't, but we always try to adopt a positive approach. We may change our style or our way of defending, but our identity remains based on positivity and control of the course of the game.”
He continued: “It is clear that we lack the ability to push opponents towards their penalty area and keep the ball there to create more opportunities, and this is our biggest problem. We also need more consistency in performance, whether during a single match or across a series of matches. I think we're improving in that aspect, we're performing better for longer periods, and we're starting to control games more effectively. However, we still have a lot to do, especially in the final third, where we are unable to get the ball there and keep it long enough. We need time to work on this aspect, and I have to help my players perform better in those moments.”
Amorim spoke to journalists, during a conference held on Wednesday, before the match, with the participation of defender Kuni de Winter, who is considered a key element in the team’s lineup this season, according to the Football Italia newspaper.
Amorim concluded by saying: “The Inter confrontation has become part of the past. Let us prove tomorrow that we can provide a better defensive performance.”
