Real Madrid's 36-match unbeaten streak was ended after a surprise loss to Lille in the second round of the Champions League qualifying round. The last time Carlo Ancelotti's team lost was on January 18 in a 2-4 loss to Atletico Madrid in the Copa del Rey.
At Lille, Jonathan David's penalty goal ruined the efforts of big stars like Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham. Real Madrid looked quite sluggish in many attacking situations, even Ancelotti had to admit this.
"To be honest, the criticism of us today was completely correct. The club must accept this defeat, Real Madrid did not show their best form" - Carletto shared.
The season has just begun, the loss to Lille did not have too much of a negative impact on Los Blancos. However, this is not the first time Ancelotti has said this in the past two months. At Real Madrid, there is always a very high standard in every match and it is no coincidence that this defeat has been scrutinized so much.
Back to the opening moment of the season with a 1-1 draw on the opening day of La Liga against Mallorca. At that time, Ancelotti also said that it was necessary to soon find a solution to solve the weak situation of the club. At that time, the question of the viability of the trio Vinicius - Mbappe - Rodrygo was raised with many doubts.
This situation was resolved not long after, especially when Mbappe started to open an account at his new club. The French striker is currently the number 1 striker with 7 goals/10 matches. The 3-2 win over Alaves last weekend was Real Madrid's 5th consecutive victory, but according to The Atheltic, there are still many concerns raised within the reigning European champions.
Mbappe was taken off against Alaves with a muscle injury, leading to a change in the starting lineup for the Madrid Derby. In that match, Ancelotti used a 4-4-2 formation instead of a 4-3-3. They tried this against Lille and did not show any improvement. Real Madrid's coaching staff admitted that the team has not been able to achieve its best state.
"We have to struggle with ourselves to find creativity. Superficial ball control is due to Real Madrid lacking ideas, a consequence of the lack of a striker who can play vertically. If we continue to play slowly like now, I think it is an issue that needs to be resolved immediately" - Ancelotti shared.
If there is no progress, Eder Militao will be sidelined with an injury after coming off in the 57th minute. He will join Thiabaut Courtois, David Alaba, Dani Ceballos and Brahim Diaz on the injured list. Since the beginning of the season, the physical issue has been mentioned a lot. Players who played against Lille such as Mbappe and Camavinga have just returned after a short recovery period.
Regarding the tight schedule, Ancelotti said he did not want to blame and would look for a solution. In reality, many Real Madrid players are at the threshold of physical suffering, and are susceptible to injuries if they continue to work hard. Maybe in the upcoming match against Villarreal, Los Blancos will give some players a break. They could start with the central defender duo Antonio Rudiger - Jesus Vallejo. Or, the replacement for Vallejo will be Aurelien Tchouameni.
Every team has encountered problems like this, not just Real Madrid. It is undeniable that after the departure of some key players such as Nacho or Toni Kroos, Los Blancos are still struggling to find a replacement. Now is the time for them to prove to everyone how good they are at adapting.
