Despite the result, Ancelotti was quick to defend the performance of his starting attackers while clarifying the medical necessity behind the half-time change. The Italian tactician prioritised the welfare of his players over chasing a result in a warm-up fixture.
Ancelotti told reporters: "I think Raphinha played very well. He had some muscle discomfort at the end of the first half and we had to substitute him, but he had many opportunities and very good movement off the ball. And Vini always tries; he always makes the difference. A striker cannot always score, but the work done by both of them was good."