10 days after losing 0-4 to Barcelona at the Bernabeu, Real Madrid lost 1-3 to AC Milan. In the middle of that streak, they also suffered the scandal of "losing" the 2024 Ballon d'Or. It's been a long time since Los Blancos have been so overwhelmed on all fronts.
As the match against Milan was about to kick off, tens of thousands of fans in the Bernabeu stadium whistled as the Champions League anthem played. It was as if they were protesting Vinicius's "loss" of the Ballon d'Or last week. But after the match, those negative sounds were directed at Carlo Ancelotti and his students because they played a disaster.
Despite the many positive results from last season, it cannot be denied that, whether winning early or coming from behind, Ancelotti's Real Madrid are still far from perfect. They have exposed many flaws and only the Champions League DNA can help Los Blancos stand firm. When luck no longer smiles, everything is exposed.
Carlo Ancelotti's future is now in question, despite having helped Real Madrid win two more Champions Leagues in just three seasons. At the Bernabeu, no coach is allowed to lose El Clasico in such a weak fashion. As for the Champions League, owner Florentino Perez always aims to win it. If he fails to do these two things, no matter how great Ancelotti is, he could lose his job immediately.
Just like the crisis Man City are suffering without Rodri, Real Madrid cannot be themselves without Toni Kroos. In the 2022-2023 season when they failed, the German midfielder promised the fans that Los Blancos would soon return. In the end, he left the Bernabeu with the 2023-2024 Champions League title. Without Kroos, along with a number of injuries in the squad, Ancelotti is feeling a lot of pressure.
The Italian captain is not the type to demand much from the coaching staff, but given the current urgent situation, a new central defender in January 2025 is a must. In the context of David Alaba not knowing when he will return from an ACL injury, having only two pure central defenders in Eder Militao and Antonio Rudiger can easily cause Real Madrid to be flooded when having to rotate continuously for the arenas.
Real Madrid have suffered three defeats in just 16 games this season, compared to just two defeats in 55 last season. Ancelotti has not shied away from the harsh reality. The veteran Italian coach has said he is struggling to find balance and stability in his side.
"I don't feel it's unfair to be blamed, it's normal. When the team doesn't play to their full potential, it's natural for the coach to be blamed," Ancelotti shared.
Ancelotti doesn't believe the players have been lacking in effort but perhaps he shouldn't ignore the rumours that the dressing room is a little shaky. Fans could easily blame Lucas Vazquez for not taking up the mantle left by Dani Carvajal. Ancelotti doesn't want Vazquez to suffer that fate but what other choice does he have? Then there's Aurelien Tchouameni, will the French midfielder be moved into a defensive role?
The last person to be mentioned in the past 10 disastrous days is Kylian Mbappe. This is only his first season at Real Madrid and adaptation time is necessary. However, how long will it take for Mbappe to adapt when he has been at Los Blancos for nearly 4 months?
Mbappe has not scored in 3 consecutive matches, a stark contrast to the streak of 8 goals in the first 12 matches. What is the player considered the best in the world doing right now, is he worthy of the highest salary he is receiving at Bernabeu?
On such a sad day, many times the TV cameras and reporters captured Endrick and Arda Guler with bored faces on the sidelines. Guler has only played in 1/4 of the last matches while Endrick has not played in 5 matches. They are the world's top young talents, do they have a chance when their seniors are temporarily in decline?
It all paints a worrying picture for Real Madrid and it could get worse. Their next Champions League opponents are Liverpool at Anfield on 27 November.
