 |
| willpower and concentration |
Real Madrid keep marching on and, on a night when all the talk was about Leo Messi's historic feats, Carlo Ancelotti had a personal record of his own to celebrate. The fixture in Eibar was his 50th league game in charge of 'Los Blancos' and he has racked up 37 victories, his best-ever mark at this stage, beating the 36 he managed at Chelsea.
The Italian has forged a unit that is running as smoothly as clockwork, whoever's in the line-up. Indeed, Luka Modric's absence wasn't felt in the slightest in the Basque Country.
This Real side are nothing if not consistent and Ancelotti now looks poised to set a new longest winning streak at the club. He is currently on 14 wins in a row, one behind the record of 15 shared by Miguel Muñoz and José Mourinho. He has the chance to match this tally in Wednesday's trip to Basel and then move out ahead with another victory away in Málaga.
One of the lads
Leaving aside his tactical acumen, Ancelotti has won over the squad due to his human qualities. He is a natural leader and his open, approachable attitude and sense of humour make him an extremely popular boss.
Leaving aside his tactical acumen, Ancelotti has won over the squad due to his human qualities. He is a natural leader and his open, approachable attitude and sense of humour make him an extremely popular boss.
The good vibes in the Real dressing room were illustrated by two episodes involving Cristiano Ronaldo during the Eibar match. First Carletto could be seen imitating the star's celebration when CR7 made it 2-0 and then the Portuguese ace winked at the coach after being substituted shortly after scoring his second goal.
