Ancelotti reveals the reason behind Vinicius substitution against Granada

The Real Madrid boss says he has substituted the Brazilian star for precautionary reasons.

Real Madrid defeated Granada 4-1 on Sunday as they returned to the top of the La Liga table. Vinicius continued his newly found form as he scored his tenth goal of the season for the Blancos.

However, Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti replaced Vinicius with Rodrygo in the 70th minute. The decision was confusing as the 21-year-old was having a great night, constantly challenging Granada’s backline with his quick runs.

In a post-match interview, the Italian coach explained his decision to substitute Vinicius.

Asked whether he was worried about the tough challenges on the Brazilian forward, Ancelotti responded (via Managing Madrid): “Yes, I took Vinícius off to avoid problems. The match was getting a little fiery. I wanted to avoid those kinds of problems, for us and for Granada.”

The Real Madrid boss added: “I made substitutions to give some rest to those who had been playing more. Physically, the team is good. I felt Militão was tired so I gave him a rest today, for example, and Nacho played well. Maybe other players will be tired and need a rest in the coming days, which is fine since I trust the others.”

Ancelotti went on to praise his side’s midfield unit after their incredible performance.

“They’re still the best midfielders in the world, for me.

“It’s surprising how they can naturally do things, things I don’t even have to ask. For example, sometimes Modrić drops back or Kroos drops back to overcome pressure, or Casemiro goes forward.

“I don’t want to get in the way of that. They were great in the past and they are great in the present. As for the future, in the near future they can still keep going.”

Real Madrid are now leading the La Liga table with 30 points from their 13 matches. The Blancos are also leading Group D of the Champions League with nine points as they sit above Inter. Ancelotti’s side return to the elite tournament on Wednesday, looking to avenge Sherrif Tiraspol for their last month’s shock victory.