Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images
Following Real Madrid’s defeat in yesterday’s El Clasico, Carlo Ancelotti addressed the media, providing insight into Real Madrid’s performance and the tactics that shaped the match.
For the team, the loss was significant as it marked their first defeat in La Liga after a 42-game unbeaten streak. Ancelotti aimed to dissect what went wrong on the pitch, addressing both his tactical choices and the challenges his squad faced during the match.
Ancelotti’s view on the match revealed a tale of two halves. According to the coach, Real Madrid was competitive and played a balanced game during the first half, creating opportunities that, unfortunately, didn’t result in goals.
“The opinion of this match is that it was close until the first half. We could have scored and we just missed. And when they scored, they scored two goals in a row that took all our energy away,” said the manager.
Though disappointed by the loss, he insisted the team should keep building on the positive aspects shown early on in the match.
“Then it was a different match because we took risks. In short, I liked the first half and we have to continue in that vein. We are sad but we have to keep working. We must not throw anything away,” he added.
Kylian Mbappe’s role
One of the key discussions revolved around Kylian Mbappe’s role. Ancelotti noted that Barcelona’s high defensive line resulted in several offside calls against Mbappe, a strategy that limited his effectiveness.
“We knew they used the high line and we almost missed out. He had chances and sometimes he was offside.”
However, the manager still credited Mbappe’s movement, noting that he was able to find goal-scoring opportunities despite the challenges presented by Barcelona’s defensive strategy.
“But he had three or four chances where he needed more accuracy. Something happened with the assistant, not with Flick. He wasn’t a great player.”
Incident with the Barcelona bench
Ancelotti also touched on an incident involving the Barcelona bench, expressing frustration over what he perceived as disrespectful behaviour from one of Barcelona’s assistants.
“The Barcelona assistant was not a gentleman, I told Flick and they agreed.”
Reflecting on his tactical approach, Ancelotti explained that Real Madrid had planned to increase the pressure on Barcelona, particularly in the first 60 minutes.
Despite the loss, he defended his strategy, emphasising that the goal was to disrupt Barcelona’s flow, which they managed for a considerable portion of the game.
“I don’t regret what we did. The idea was to put more pressure on and we did that for 60 minutes. It’s a tough moment when you lose after 42 games unbeaten.”
The offside trap
Additionally, Ancelotti pointed to Real Madrid’s awareness of Barcelona’s offside tendencies, having noticed their opponents frequently caught in offside positions.
While Real Madrid succeeded in catching Barcelona offside several times, they were unable to turn those advantages into goals, ultimately contributing to the loss.
“Barça have been offside 65 times in the league. It was known. But we had four chances in front of the goal. It could have happened, but we had three or four and we didn’t score,” he noted.
lastly, Ancelotti recognised the disappointment of losing to a league leader like Barcelona, admitting it was especially difficult given Real Madrid’s long unbeaten run.
Yet, he was clear that his team should focus on learning from this game, carrying forward the strengths displayed in the first half, and continuing to push forward with confidence.
“It hurts. They are a team that is leading the league. That’s why it’s tougher. It’s different to Lille. In Lille, we did not compete and we played very badly. Here, the result counts. But because we take risks,” he concluded.
