Saturday’s defeat to Villarreal was bitterly disappointing for Carlo Ancelotti and his charges.
Had they avoided defeat, Real Madrid would have topped La Liga for 24 hours at least, with Barcelona playing Atletico Madrid on Sunday. Instead, Xavi’s side can move three points clear at the summit with a victory in the Spanish capital.
Speaking to the media following the defeat to the Yellow Submarine, as per MD, Ancelotti identified where things went wrong for his team during the match.
“Villarreal were better than us. The key was that we did not defend well. We were very open in the line of four, and also in the centre of the field. They enjoyed a lot playing between the lines.”
Ancelotti was also critical of some of the decision making from his players during the 90 minutes, and stated that the team should have utilised the pace of certain players more often.
“There have been errors of reading and interpretation. If they press us well, we should not be afraid to put a long ball forward because we have Vinicius and (Federico) Valverde who are very quick.”
Having had two disappointing performances to start the year, Ancelotti will be hopeful that the Supercopa can provide a momentum boost for Los Blancos, as they aim to retain the crown that they won last year in Saudi Arabia.