Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti has said he used his half time team talk to urge his players to increase their intensity but not force the game too much against Rayo Vallecano.
Los Blancos looked to be heading for a frustrating evening in the south-eastern suburb of Madrid until Cristiano Ronaldo and James Rodriguez netted in the space of five minutes late on to secure the win for Real.
Having seen Barcelona thrash Almeria earlier in the evening, it was vital to pick up the three points in the local derby to keep the pressure up on Luis Enrique’s side.
Speaking to reporters after the match, Ancelotti stated: “We rushed things too much in the first half. I told the players they had to apply pressure with more intensity up front in the second half and in the end we played a very complete game and deserved our win. It was more a case of us increasing our intensity levels than Rayo’s dropping off. We were a lot more at ease in the second half.
“I leave here very happy and am hugely satisfied with the second half performance because our attitude was good, we played well and we were physically strong. That’s all I’m looking for.”
