Carlo Ancelotti praises Sergio Ramos

Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti has praised the recent performances of centre-back Sergio Ramos.

The 27-year-old struggled for consistency in the early part of the campaign, but has heavily contributed to 13 clean sheets in Los Blancos' last 16 games in all competitions.

"The squad is very able in carrying out defensive work. And we're seeing the real Sergio Ramos now, not the player from November or December," the Italian told Canal+.

"You can quickly fix any mistakes and we've done that, not just by changing our system but also because the players now understand how important it is to recover possession.

"Defensive and offensive balance is the most important thing in football. Defensive work doesn't require creativity or skill."

Madrid face Atletico Madrid at the Vicente Calderon in La Liga on Sunday.