INTERVIEW Caroline De Moraes

You’ve scored five Champions League goals this season, including two away to Bayern in the semi-finals. How did it feel when the first went in? 

It’s a huge responsibility to score the goal and open the scoring. I was delighted because it was a very tough game; they were pressing a lot, and their fans didn’t stop singing. That goal gave us more confidence and that was very important. The emotion is always huge when you score any goal, and to score in a Champions League semi-final against [Manuel] Neuer, against Bayern away from home, is even more special. 

Can you talk us through the goal, which came from a Toni Kroos pass? 

It’s a move that Toni or other midfielders often play to me because they know I’m always looking for space. I had a good read of being able to take the defender with me and Toni, with the ease he has, played the through ball in behind so that I could get one-on-one with Neuer. You always have to be prepared and focused for that one opportunity you get in any match and, of course, you have to convert it. 

How did you decide to make the run? 

As we already have an excellent understanding, when Toni sees the defender closing me down and signals to me to make the run, I start running without looking to see if he’s going to pass or not. I anticipated he would play the through ball. When I looked forward, it had already been played for me to run onto. I always analyse goalkeepers, analyse my opponents before games, but against Neuer, there’s not much you can do. He does everything well, so you have to try your best to surprise him. While the ball was coming to me, I was looking at him all the time to see if he was going to do something different because he was staying on his feet and that made it a bit easier for me. 

Who is your biggest inspiration? 

Cristiano Ronaldo, for everything he has won, all his hard work, all his dedication to become Real Madrid’s greatest player, for scoring so many goals, and for all his career achievements. 

Is it true that you have pictures of your idols on the walls of your gym? 

There’s Pelé, Kobe [Bryant], Ronaldo [Nazário], [Michael] Jordan, LeBron [James] and Cristiano [Ronaldo]. I took a bit from every generation of my favourite sports. Pelé is our king. Ronaldo was a star for Brazil and played for Real Madrid as well. He teaches me a great deal. He calls me whenever he can to give me some tips. And ever since he told me his favourite moment was a one-on-one with the keeper, I started to think about it and improved a lot after that conversation. Now, every time I have a one-on-one with a keeper, I’m as calm as I can be. I’ve stopped being afraid of making mistakes in one-on-ones because I know it’s the easiest part in a game. And the others, they’ve done great things both on and off the pitch and court. They inspire me and many kids, and I want to be like them. 

How has Carlo Ancelotti helped you grow and develop? 

He’s done everything for me. He has always given me confidence and told me off when necessary. I’ve started to understand it and we’ve developed a very good relationship. I think, because of that, he cares about me as much as I care about him. He has changed me as a player – not on the pitch but in the way I think about training and development. He always says that my humility is my biggest virtue because I always listen to others. I’m not driven by vanity, for playing with the best players, the big stars. Every day, he teaches me more and more, on and off the pitch. 

You scored the winning goal in the 2022 final. How would it feel to win this title again? 

It’s very exciting to represent this club which is driven by this competition. I’m happy to go out on the pitch wearing this shirt, to have great results and to have scored in that final, but I want much more. I want to do what the players here do, which is to win more. We need to think about the next final, always focus on the next game, but after this final, I want to win another one, and another.