Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti was happy to kickoff 2024 with victory over Real Mallorca.

Toni Rudiger proved the matchwinner for the 1-0 triumph on Wednesday.

Ancelotti said: "In the first part of the season we scored a lot of goals from set pieces and my coaching staff are working well on this. It's not something I'm in charge of. We have good set-piece takers and formidable finishers. There are games where the set-piece gives you an advantage.

"It was difficult today, against a team that is strong in the head-to-head and defends very well. We weren't at our best either. We lacked freshness and accuracy in the final third. We won thanks to a good set-piece.

"We did well in the first half of the season and I don't think we could have done any better. It's already in the past and we have to look forward. It's going to be a hard-fought Liga. The surprise has been Girona, who are doing very well. It was predicted from the start that Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atlético were going to battle it out until the end.

"The fact that we're conceding few goals makes me happy and content. It means the team's working well and is committed. Against Atlético we had a problem at the back, but we have put things right and now we're very solid. This is the work of everyone and that's important.

"The goals conceded against Atletico opened our eyes that in that game we were weak in crosses. We fixed it by putting the centre-backs closer to the penalty area."