Real Madrid's 36-match unbeaten run was ended after a shock defeat 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.
On Lille's pitch, Jonathan David's penalty goal defeated 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.
"Honestly, the criticism about us today was completely right. The club must accept this defeat, Real Madrid did not show its best form" - Carletto shared.
The season has only just begun, and the defeat 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 so closely watched.
Back to the opening day of the season with a 1-1 draw in the opening day of La Liga against Mallorca. At that time, Ancelotti also said that a solution was needed to solve the club's weak situation. At that time, the question of the availability of the trio of Vinicius - Mbappe - Rodrygo was raised with many doubts.
The situation was resolved shortly after, especially when Mbappe started to open his account at his new team. The French striker is currently the top scorer with 7 goals in 10 matches. The 3-2 victory 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. That match, Ancelotti used a 4-4-2 instead of a 4-3-3. They tried this against Lille and it did not show any improvement. Real Madrid's coaching staff admitted that the team was still not at its best.
"We are struggling to find creativity. The superficial ball control is due to Real Madrid's lack of ideas, the result of the lack of strikers who can play vertically. If we continue to handle the ball slowly like now, I think that is a problem that needs to be solved immediately" - Ancelotti shared.
If there is no progress, Eder Militao will be out injured after leaving the field in the 57th minute. He will join the list of injured players such as Thiabaut Courtois, David Alaba, Dani Ceballos and Brahim Diaz. Since the beginning of the season, the issue of fitness has been mentioned a lot. Players who played against Lille such as Mbappe and Camavinga have just returned after not long recovering their fitness.
Regarding the tight schedule, Ancelotti said he did not want to blame and would look for a solution. In fact, many Real Madrid players are at the limit of their physical endurance, and are very susceptible to injury if they continue to work hard. Perhaps in the upcoming match against Villarreal, Los Blancos will let some players rest. They could start with the central defender duo Antonio Rudiger - Jesus Vallejo. Or, Vallejo's replacement will be Aurelien Tchouameni.
Every team has problems like this, not just Real Madrid. It is undeniable that after the departure of some pillars like Nacho or Toni Kroos, Los Blancos are still struggling to find replacements. Now is the time for them to prove to everyone how well they can adapt.
