Real Madrid are accused of many things, but lacking a cool head is not often one of them. Generally, Los Blancos are experts at managing matches, but they came unstuck against Real Mallorca on Sunday, something manager Carlo Ancelotti put down to their lack of composure.
A Nacho Fernandez own goal early on in the match put Real Madrid on the backfoot early on, a blow they struggled to recover from. After that, their only shot on target was Marco Asensio’s missed penalty.
“It is a defeat that hurts a lot in this sense,” Carlo Ancelotti told Marca.
“It has been the match we expected. We had prepared for this. For a tough game, with fouls, interruptions… it was decided on small details because it wasn’t a bad game, especially in the second half. The goal we conceded affected us a lot because it was one of the few times they have entered our area. Also the missed penalty because it has affected the final result of the match.”
“The game, as an idea, was not bad, but it was a typical game in terms of interruptions. We did not have cool heads in the first half, it was better in the second. This affects us in the La Liga. Now we have to think about the Club World Cup, which we go to with difficulties, but also with enthusiasm.”
He was asked about the growing gap between themselves and Barcelona in La Liga, which now sits at eight points.
“What’s most important is every game we have to play. Now we have the World Cup, which we want to win. Then we’ll go back to fighting for La Liga until the end. We haven’t finished yet, there are many games to go. In every game, what has happened to us can happen.”
Real Madrid will face off against Barcelona in March at Camp Nou, in a match that increasingly looks like it could be decisive in the title race. Should Barcelona maintain the gap until that point, defeat could be fatal for Carlo Ancelotti’s side.
