Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has called on his players to improve ahead of their Champions League showdown with Atletico Madrid, following a 2-1 defeat to Real Betis on Saturday.
The loss dealt a serious blow to Madrid’s LaLiga title ambitions, leaving them level on 54 points with Barcelona and just one point ahead of Atletico, both of whom have a game in hand.
Ancelotti did not mince words about his team’s performance at the Benito Villamarín Stadium, warning that a similar display in Tuesday’s Champions League first leg could be costly.
“This defeat hurts. At this stage of the season, losing is tough because every team is in form, and we didn’t do well today,” the Italian coach said. “We lost 27 balls in the first half, allowing Betis to take control. If we play like this on Tuesday, we won’t win.”
The veteran manager hopes the setback will serve as a wake-up call for his squad. “We had been showing better organization and compactness in recent games, but today, we couldn’t maintain that.”
Ancelotti also addressed his decision to substitute star forward Kylian Mbappe for Brazilian teenager Endrick late in the match, citing Mbappe’s limited training due to a dental issue. “He wasn’t at his best, so I took him off to avoid further problems,” he explained.
Real Madrid now turn their focus to Tuesday’s crucial European clash, followed by a LaLiga encounter against Rayo Vallecano next Sunday.
