Real Madrid midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni addressed the media on Tuesday morning ahead of the visit of Manchester City. This crucial match could prove a turning point for coach Carlo Ancelotti. The France international defended his coach and offered a measured self-criticism of the squad's approach.

Questioned about the dressing room's unity with the coach, Tchouaméni was keen to dispel any doubts: "We are all in this together. If we want to win, we must all, players and coach, pull in the same direction. But ultimately, we are the ones on the pitch and we have to do things better. We have an opportunity to change the dynamic and improve our standing in the Champions League."

"I don't know if it's a lack of attitude, but if we aren't winning matches it's because we need to do things better. With and without the ball. We need more commitment from everyone and to play better in defence and attack. We have to improve, and I hope we do, because what is happening now is unacceptable," the French midfielder insisted.

Real Madrid's inconsistent pressing

He also acknowledged that the team lacked the necessary mentality in the defeat against Celta Vigo: "Against Vigo, definitely, and in other matches too. If we don't play with maximum intensity, it will be very difficult to win matches. We have to understand that to win these types of matches, we have to give our all. We didn't do that against Celta, and we must do it against City in the Champions League."

Regarding the City match in particular, Tchouaméni defended Alonso's tactics: "I assure you that the coach had a good plan, but ultimately, we are the ones who go out onto the pitch, and if we perform to our level, we can win. If we lose 2-0, it means we have a problem on the pitch, both in terms of a lack of intensity and technical errors, and we must improve; it's not the coach's fault."

On the same point, he doesn't believe that Ancelotti has abandoned the high press: "We need to improve in this aspect of the game. When we start, we want to press the opposition, like against Vigo or in the Bilbao match, but sometimes we do it well, and other times very poorly. We need to improve on that to help us recover more balls and score goals."

Acid Man City test

Turning his attention to Manchester City, he is looking forward to the challenge. "It's a pleasure to play in the Champions League, especially at home against City, a great opponent. We want to win this match because it will be very important for us," said Aurelien Tchouameni, who praised Pep Guardiola's side: "Manchester City is a very good team, especially on the ball. They want to keep it and have it for a long time. We must be very solid, especially when defending, and also on the ball to create opportunities with our attacking players. It will be a good match to play in and to watch, and we are eager to enjoy it."

Furthermore, he addressed the team's injuries and having to face a striker like Erling Haaland with a depleted defence: "We have many injured players in defence, but we have many others who can step in and perform at a high level too. Ultimately, we all have to defend together and be committed to defending well. We are playing against a great team with Haaland, who is an incredible player, but if we play to our level, we can win this match."

A. Tchouaméni

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