Ancelotti does not believe Real players keep the World Cup

"This defeat is quite easy to analyze. We lacked the quality on the ball like Vallecano. Real are not in the top form as usual, and when that happens, the team cannot rely solely on the brilliance of the players. personally", Ancelotti said after the defeat in the late round 13 of La Liga on the evening of November 7.

The Italian coach also admitted to making mistakes in the tactical stage and should have asked the players to kick the ball longer. This match, the lack of Toni Kroos because of the suspension made it difficult for Real to deploy the ball from home and make many mistakes. He also said that many Real players lose their fitness when going through a tight schedule because of the 2022 World Cup, leading to failure in duels.

However, the Italian coach dismissed the notion that his players were distracted by the 2022 World Cup. He said: "I see they are still focused and trying their best. We are not fresh but that is normal. , because Real play too many matches, constantly playing with a density of three days a match. This is even more evident against teams that compete with high intensity like Vallecano."

The first half of the match at Estadio de Vallecas was even, when Luka Modric and Eder Militao scored for Real, while Santi Comesana and Alvaro Garcia scored for Vallecano. The turning point came in the second half, when the hosts were awarded a penalty because Dani Carvajal let the ball touch his hand inside the box. On the penalty spot, Oscar Trejo failed to win against Courtois, but Vallecano was kicked back because the Real goalkeeper took his feet off the line before the opponent finished. In the second, Trejo picked the opposite angle when he shot to the right. Courtois still guessed in the right direction, but was unstoppable.

Real broke the unbeaten circuit in La Liga season 2022-2023, after 10 wins, two draws, and stomped in second place, two points behind Barca. The royal team's risk of being increased to five points by the opponent, if Barca wins against Osasuna in the early match of the 14th round today. Ancelotti admitted: "We are very disappointed to lose the first place, but the season is still long. Real did very well in the first part of the season, even if they did not perform properly today."

A few hours before the match, the draw at UEFA headquarters in Nyon city brought Real back to Liverpool in the 1/8 Champions League round. The two teams met in the final last season, where Real won 1-0 thanks to Vinicius' close-range cushion. Regarding this match, Ancelotti said: "Obviously, this is a difficult but interesting draw. It will be a great atmosphere, both at Anfield and at the Bernabeu."

Before the season was paused to make room for the 2022 World Cup, Real also met Cadiz at the Bernabeu in round 14 of La Liga on November 10.