"Could be a great striker" - Carlo Ancelotti claims Real Madrid star could be an effective attacker
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti showered praise on defender Eder Militao for his performance against RCD Espanyol. The Brazilian central defender got on the scoresheet during the La Liga home clash on Saturday (March 11).
Militao, formerly of FC Porto, has now scored four league goals this season, the same as attacker Rodrygo. Ancelotti was quizzed about the same after the Espanyol game, which Madrid won 3-1.
The Italian manager tipped the defender to become a great striker, saying (via AS):
"Militao could be a great striker … I don't know if Rodrygo could be a great defender, but even if he doesn't score, he helps us a lot in defence. It is a bit of a strange fact, but you have to look at it fairly, Militao has been very forceful in front. Rodrygo scores little because he asked him for a lot of defensive work."
Militao has been a mainstay in Real Madrid's defence this season. He has made 32 appearances across competitions, helping the Madrid giants keep 11 clean sheets.
Los Blancos, meanwhile, closed the gap down on league leaders Barcelona to six points with their win. They have 57 points from 25 games, but Xavi's side have a game in hand.
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti explains team formation against Espanyol
Real Madrid lined up in a 4-3-3 formation against Espanyol, a departure from the Italian tactician's usual 4-4-2 formation this term.
When quizzed what prompted him to deploy a new shape for the team, Ancelotti said after the Espanyol win:
"It depends a lot on the opponent's strategy, if you have a rival that closes a lot on the inside, like Espanyol today, it's better to have two wingers. If it's like Betis, which leaves more spaces between the lines, a midfielder is better, like Rodrygo. The pressure is better for us with the midfielder; the 4-4-2 is the most suitable to press up in defence. We have tried to play with two on the outside because the center was very closed."
Los Blancos will now shift their attention to the UEFA Champions League, as Ancelotti's side host Liverpool on Wednesday (March 15) in the second leg of the Round of 16. The Spanish team triumphed 5-2 in the first leg at Anfield three weeks ago.