Ancelotti Critiques Madrid’s Performance After Loss to Lille

Carlo Ancelotti provided a blunt evaluation following Real Madrid’s 1-0 loss against Lille in the UEFA Champions League.

The decisive moment came when Jonathan David converted a penalty during stoppage time in the first half at a lively State Pierre-Mauroy.

Kylian Mbappe, who is recovering from a thigh injury, entered the game as a second-half substitute but couldn’t change the outcome. Other than a late surge resulting in saves by Lille’s goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier against Jude Bellingham, Antonio Rudiger, and Arda Guler, Madrid’s performance left much to be desired.

“The other team played better and rightfully won,” Ancelotti stated in the post-match briefing. “We struggled to match their intensity and engage in duels. A draw could have happened, but we didn’t earn it. We must learn from this experience; there are clear areas of improvement for us.”

The coach specifically noted the champions’ lack of effort in the first half.

“Everything was going poorly, and regaining possession was challenging. We had problems with creation and lacked speed in our ball possession and ideas,” he commented.

“The team’s overall feeling is disheartening. Losing matches is part of the game, but we did not project a strong image. That’s what concerns me the most. However, we have the capability to improve. We need to resolve our issues quickly as we face another match this Saturday.”

This weekend, Madrid will play against Villarreal in LaLiga, currently trailing Barcelona by three points at the top of the standings.