Ancelotti on Real Madrid’s 3-1 loss to AC Milan: “It will be a long night”

November 6, 2024

In a recent UEFA Champions League match, Real Madrid faced a disappointing 3-1 defeat to AC Milan at the Santiago Bernabeu. This loss has left Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti deeply concerned about his team’s current form and performance.

The match saw AC Milan take an early lead through Malick Thiaw’s header. Real Madrid responded with a penalty converted by Vinicius Junior, but an error from Aurelien Tchouameni allowed Alvaro Morata to score against his former club, restoring Milan’s lead. Tijjani Reijnders later added a third goal for Milan, sealing the victory.

Ancelotti, in his post-match press conference, expressed his worries about the team’s lack of solidity and defensive lapses. “We have to be concerned, the team is not playing well,” he said. “The team is not compact, we need to be more compact, more organized. We’ve conceded a lot of goals.”

The Italian manager emphasized that the issues are collective rather than individual, downplaying the crowd’s booing of players like Tchouameni and Kylian Mbappe. “It is not an issue of motivation or attitude, it’s a collective thing that we need to fix quickly,” Ancelotti added.

Real Madrid’s recent performances have been underwhelming, with back-to-back defeats in all competitions for the first time in over three years. Ancelotti acknowledged the need for immediate improvement to avoid falling too far behind in the Champions League standings. “We have to focus on what we have today, which is a team that is not at its best, and get back to our level so we can fight for all competitions,” he said.

The defeat leaves Real Madrid in 17th place in the Champions League table with six points from four games. Ancelotti’s message to his players was clear: “We have to accept criticism and accept reality. We want to do better because it’s very difficult to get to the end of the season like this.”

Ancelotti’s concerns highlight the challenges Real Madrid faces as they strive to regain their form and defend their title. The road ahead will be tough, but with Ancelotti’s experience and leadership, there is hope for a turnaround.