Ancelotti talks Mbappe, title race, player commitment after Real Betis 2-1 Real Madrid | OneFootball

Carlo Ancelotti faced the media after Real Madrid’s disappointing defeat against Real Betis, clearly frustrated with his team’s performance.

The Italian did not shy away from expressing his disappointment, acknowledging that if his team performs in a similar manner in their upcoming Champions League clash against Atletico Madrid, they will not come away with a victory.

“If the team plays like this on Tuesday (against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League) they will not win,” he began saying

A disastrous performance

Analysing the match, Ancelotti admitted that Real Madrid simply did not play well. Although they started strong in the opening 20 minutes, they soon lost control, allowing Betis to dominate proceedings.

Carlo Ancelotti admitted Real Madrid were the second best team. (Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images)

He acknowledged that the home side deserved the victory, as they showed more intensity and determination.

“It was a bad game. Betis deserved to win because, after the first 20 minutes, they were better than us. We were overconfident.”

A serious setback in the title race

Real Madrid’s recent form has been a major concern, with only five wins in their last 15 matches. Ancelotti admitted that this defeat is a major setback in their pursuit of the league title.

At this stage of the season, every dropped point can prove costly, especially with other teams maintaining consistency. He stressed the need for an immediate reaction, as performances like this could see them fall further behind in the title race.

“Yes, this is a hard blow. We have to react. Losing at this stage is very expensive because all the teams are running and we… we didn’t play well in this match,” he noted.

Mbappe’s early substitution

Mbappe was taken off early. (Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images)

One of the biggest talking points of the match was the substitution of Kylian Mbappe. The French forward was taken off earlier than expected, raising questions about his fitness.

Ancelotti clarified that Mbappe had been dealing with a dental issue and had not trained much leading up to the match.

As a result, he was not at full capacity, prompting the decision to replace him with Endrick in order to avoid any unnecessary risks.

“He had a tooth problem, he hadn’t trained much and he wasn’t at his best. It was obvious. So to avoid problems I preferred to take him off and put Endrick in. Mbappé hadn’t trained much and he wasn’t at 100%.”

Defensive issues and lack of pressure

Real Madrid’s defensive struggles were also highlighted, particularly the lack of effort from the attacking players when pressing the opposition.

Ancelotti pointed out that the team was aggressive in the first half, applying pressure and disrupting Betis’ build-up play. However, for the remaining 70 minutes, they lost that intensity, making it easy for Betis to dictate the game.

“When you’re doing well, you put pressure on the ball when it comes out, and we did that in the first half, but the other 70 minutes, it was bad.”

A drop in player commitment?

Real Madrid dropped more points. (Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images)

When asked about the players’ mentality, Ancelotti admitted that he cannot get inside their heads but acknowledged that there was a noticeable difference between the first and second half.

This drastic change in intensity and focus was concerning, as Madrid failed to maintain the same level of urgency throughout the match.

“I’m not in the players’ heads, but it’s true that there has been a big change from the first half to the second,” he concluded.

With a crucial Champions League fixture against Atletico Madrid approaching, Ancelotti will hope for a much-improved display from his team.

Source: AS