Carlo Ancelotti criticized Real Madrid’s defense and said he was “upset by the whole match” after their defeat. beaten 5-2 by Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final.
Two-time Super Cup winner Ancelotti viewed Kylian Mbappe’s performance as a positive after the striker scored a scintillating fifth-minute opener, but Barca scored. Lamine YamalRobert Lewandowski, Raphinha and Alejandro Balde lead 4-1 at halftime in Jeddah.
“We should try to play football, because we didn’t do it in the first half,” Ancelotti told Movistar, via ASwhen asked what he said to his players at the break.
“We took advantage of the long balls but that should have been an option, not an idea. The idea was to play and we didn’t do that. I said we could lose, but not like in the first half.
Madrid vs Barcelona
After Raphinha made it 4-1 in the 48th minute, Madrid received a much-needed boost when Barca goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny received a red card eight minutes later for obstructing Mbappe.
Rodrygo’s response from a 60th-minute free-kick lived up to the European champions’ comeback, with Barca avenging their 4-1 defeat in last season’s final.
“We have to look at reality,” Ancelotti said. “We didn’t defend well. They scored goals very easily. We did not work well on a collective or individual level.
“This leaves us sad and disappointed. Our sadness is that of our fans. I don’t want to point the finger at anyone. They didn’t play well on defense. The team was not compact.
“The match was not good from the first minute to the last. We were down a man and we couldn’t create any chances. I’m upset about the whole match.
Liga: Madrid schedule
Madrid, the reigning Spanish champions, are five points ahead of second-placed Barcelona La Ligawith leader Atletico Madrid a point further back.
The Champions League holders will host Celta Vigo in the round of 16 of the Copa del Rey on Thursday (8:30 p.m.) and will host Las Palmas, 14th in the championship, on Sunday (3:15 p.m.).
“There is still a lot of season left and we have to look to the future,” Ancelotti said. “[We will] go home, think and prepare for Thursday’s game.
