The mood at Real Madrid is tense after two consecutive home defeats. So much so that coach Carlo Ancelotti has lost his smile.
Real Madrid have been warned about Saturday’s opponent. After all, Osasuna is the only team in La Liga that has so far managed to beat FC Barcelona – although the team tends to shine more at home. 15 home points compared to five away points.
The fact that Real are no longer invincible at the Bernabeu is something they also noticed in Pamplona, of course. After the defeats against Barcelona (0-4) and in the Champions League against Milan (1-3), the mood in Madrid is as bad as it has been for a long time. By the way, also with Carlo Ancelotti: “It’s not the time to laugh,” said the Italian, who spoke of “long nights of reflection”.
The Real coach is apparently having sleepless nights, especially in defense, after all, Real also conceded two goals in the 5-2 win against BVB in the Champions League. They have conceded nine goals in the last three games, far too many for Real. “It’s a defensive problem,” says Ancelotti, “We believe we have found the solution. But we have to prove it in practice.”
The former midfielder gave his players the cornerstones for successful defensive work. “Sacrifice, concentration and collective work,” said Ancelotti, and went into more detail: “Sacrifice to be a compact team, concentration to make the right decisions, and collective work because you have to defend compactly like we did last season.”
Mbappé’s position remains as it is
But Real are also struggling offensively, which is also due to the slow integration of Kylian Mbappé. The fact that the Frenchman was not selected for the Equipe Tricolore is not likely to help improve his form. “He’s training, he’s going through a difficult moment,” Ancelotti said of the situation at Real. ‘The problem he has is the problem we all have. We’re not at our best.’ But he could say the same about Vinicius, Rodrygo and Bellingham. ‘It’s a difficult moment for everyone. It’s normal in football and in sport that defeats happen.’
Ancelotti has brooded a lot in the last few days, but he has dismissed thoughts of changing the formation on the offensive side. This means that Mbappé will again play as a central striker, with Vinicius coming in on the left. Mbappé has the “qualities of a striker, even if they sometimes change position. I don’t want to change that.”
The fourth home game in a row will show whether Ancelotti’s messages have been received by the team. “I can talk, but then we also have to act,” he said, and then even got a little lyrical. “Today it’s just words, words are blown away by the wind. Tomorrow’s performance will be seen on the pitch and in everyone’s eyes.”