Real performance delights Ancelotti

30 April 2014 06:16

Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti praised his entire team's performance on a record-breaking night for Cristiano Ronaldo as Los Blancos cruised into the Champions League final.

Ronaldo scored twice as Real dismantled defending champions Bayern Munich 4-0 at the Allianz Arena to take his Champions League tally for the campaign to a record 16 goals.

Sergio Ramos also scored twice to help Madrid to a 3-0 half-time lead which effectively killed the tie, with Ronaldo adding another in the final minute for a 5-0 aggregate victory.

And while much of the focus was on the prolific Portuguese, Ancelotti was delighted with a complete performance which takes his team to the Estadio da Luz on May 24 where they will face either Atletico Madrid or Chelsea.

"I'm not surprised," he told Real's official website.

"These players could do and have done very well. It is a great happiness for us all.

"The first part was fantastic. I thank the players and everyone."

Real will go to Lisbon in search of a 10th European Cup as they play in the final for the first time since 2002, and the Italian was delighted to be back on the biggest stage in club football.

"It is 12 years since Madrid played a Champions League final and this is good for all," he added.

"Being in the final is the first objective. Reaching the final is not easy. We've done a fantastic Champions League and we'll see what happens."

The one downside for Real was the 38th-minute booking of Xabi Alonso which means the influential central midfielder will not be able to play in the final.

"The thing for Xabi is very unlucky," he said.

"The important thing is that we will play the final and we also need to win for him."

Bayern boss Pep Guardiola came in for some criticism after the first-leg defeat with some suggesting that his possession-based brand of football was ineffective against Real.

But the former Barcelona boss was insistent following the second leg that a lack of possession had hurt his team and that had stopped them from controlling the game.

"The reason for the defeat is that we played too little with the ball," he told the club's official website.

"In Manchester and also in Madrid, we have made it outstanding, not today.

"If you do not have control of the game, you have no chance against this team.

"We played badly, that's my responsibility. We are at the highest level in Europe and such errors are punished.

"I'll try to lift the players."

Source: PA