Carlo Ancelotti hopes Real Madrid’s hard-fought victory over Atalanta will propel his team toward a top-eight finish in the Champions League and secure direct passage to the last 16.
The reigning European champions triumphed in Bergamo, edging Serie A leaders Atalanta 3-2 in a gripping contest. Goals from Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior, and Jude Bellingham revived Madrid’s title defense and bolstered their Champions League campaign.
With matches against Salzburg and Brest remaining in the Champions League, Madrid sits three points shy of the top eight positions. Speaking to reporters, Ancelotti acknowledged the challenge ahead:
“I don’t know if we can get into the top eight, but the goal is obvious. We need to win both the matches that we have left in the Champions League,” he said.
Reflecting on the win, he added, “This victory will give us a lot. It was a great win based on quality play and hard work. It’s given us some breathing room… Let’s hope we have more players available in January, but we’re more relaxed about it after today.”
Meanwhile, Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini expressed pride in his team despite the loss. Italy forward Mateo Retegui missed a golden opportunity to equalize in added time, firing over Ademola Lookman’s precise low cross. Retegui’s miss left him visibly disheartened as Atalanta slipped to ninth with 11 points.
Gasperini struck a constructive tone post-match:
“It happened so fast… a draw would have possibly better reflected the balance of play. But maybe losing like we did will hurt us more and force us to improve,” he said. “The defeat had nothing to do with luck or anything like that. It means we still need to tweak a few things to get to their level.”
Atalanta, who scored through Lookman and Charles De Ketelaere, now faces must-win matches against Sturm Graz and Barcelona to salvage their campaign.