Ancelotti finds it difficult to understand because Real is empty
After defeating Liverpool 5-2 in the first leg of the 1/8 Champions League round on February 21, Real only scored one goal in the last three matches in all competitions. They were respectively held 1-1 by Atletico Madrid in the 23rd round of La Liga, lost 0-1 to Barca in the first leg of the King's Cup semi-final, and then drew 0-0 with Betis in the 24th round of La Liga yesterday.
"I'm sad but not disappointed. It's confusing when the team doesn't score," Ancelotti said after being sawed by Betis. "A team of the same level and quality as Real but scoring only one goal in the last three matches is unusual."
Before Betis yesterday, Real controlled the ball 63%, shot 15 times with five on target, but could not score. Before that, when losing to Barca 0-1 in the King's Cup, Real also held the ball 65% - the most after nearly 10 years in El Clasico, but did not finish the goal once in 13 shots in the whole match.
When drawing Atletico 1-1 in the derby in round 23 on February 25, Real held the ball 62%, finished 18 times, including 7 goal directions. But they only escaped defeat thanks to an equalizer in the 85th minute of the 18-year-old striker who replaced Alvaro Rodriguez.
In 24 matches played, Real lead La Liga in attack with 47 goals, one more than Barca. Therefore, the recent poor performance circuit, according to Ancelotti, also disappointed the players themselves. "We all know Real has enough quality, enough ability to score a lot of goals and has also done this well. But attack now is the problem. The team has to finish sharper, more effective," said the Italian coach. more.
Draw with Betis yesterday, Real lost in the La Liga race, 9 points behind Barca in 24 matches. However, Ancelotti insists that he and his students have not given up hope of defending the championship. "The gap is really big, but there are still many games ahead and we will fight to the end. We will work hard this whole week to prepare for the next match," Real coach emphasized.
After returning from the Betis stadium, coach Ancelotti and his students will have a full week to recover and practice and then receive Espanyol in the 25th round of La Liga on March 11. Then four days later, they will rematch Liverpool in the second leg of the 1/8 Champions League round.
