Real Madrid must step up their performance as they prepare for the Champions League Round of 16, according to coach Carlo Ancelotti, who labelled Saturday’s 2-1 loss to Real Betis a “significant setback” in their pursuit of the LaLiga title.
The defeat means Real Madrid missed the opportunity to take the lead in LaLiga, remaining locked on 54 points, equal with Barcelona, while one point ahead of third-placed Atletico Madrid, who both have a match in hand.
Ancelotti was critical of his team’s lacklustre display at the Benito Villamarin stadium, cautioning that a repeat performance in Tuesday’s Champions League first leg at home to Atletico could be detrimental.
“This is a significant setback; we need to recover quickly. Losing at this stage in the season is challenging because every team is in form, and we did not perform well today,” the Italian coach told the media.
“We lost possession 27 times in the first half, which allowed Betis to come back into the match. If we continue to play like this, we certainly won’t secure a victory on Tuesday.”
“I hope this serves as a wake-up call. It seemed we were becoming more organised and compact lately, but today we failed to replicate that in previous matches.”
Ancelotti explained his decision to substitute the team’s leading goal-scorer, Kylian Mbappe, with Endrick in the latter stages of the game, noting that the Frenchman had been unable to train fully due to a dental concern.
“(Mbappe) had an issue this week and wasn’t able to train much, so he wasn’t at his best,” he said.
“To avoid complications, I took him off and brought on Endrick, who has been performing well,” Ancelotti added regarding the talented Brazilian teenager.
Real Madrid will face Rayo Vallecano in LaLiga next Sunday following their Champions League encounter against Atletico.
Compiled by SportArena.com.au.
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