Real Madrid’s Supercopa Setback: Ancelotti’s Reflections and the Road Ahead
In the world of football, few matches carry the weight and anticipation of a Clásico, especially when it comes to a final. On Sunday, fans were treated to a high-stakes showdown in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where Real Madrid faced off against their eternal rivals, Barcelona, in the Supercopa final. The match, however, did not go as planned for Madrid, ending in a 5-2 defeat that left coach Carlo Ancelotti “sad and disappointed.”
The game started on a promising note for Madrid, with Kylian Mbappé putting them ahead in the fifth minute. But Barcelona quickly responded, with Lamine Yamal leveling the score. The first half saw a flurry of goals from Barcelona, with Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, and Alejandro Balde putting Barça 4-1 up by halftime. Raphinha added another goal after the break, and despite a red card for Barcelona’s goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny, Madrid could only manage a consolation goal from Rodrygo.
For Barcelona and their coach Hansi Flick, this victory was a much-needed boost after a dip in their league form. For Madrid, it was a missed opportunity to secure their third trophy of the season. Ancelotti, reflecting on the match, admitted, “We have to look at the reality. We didn’t defend well.” He elaborated on the team’s struggles, noting, “We tried to press high and defend with a low block. They scored the goals easily, and we didn’t work hard, collectively or individually.”
Despite the setback, Ancelotti remains focused on the future. “We lost a lot of duels. That makes us sad and disappointed, but that’s football. We have to take that sadness home. I understand the sadness of our fans. We feel that, but we have to look forward, and prepare for the next game, and recover the good form we’d been in.”
Madrid’s next challenge comes in the Copa del Rey last 16, where they will host Celta Vigo at the Bernabéu on Thursday, followed by a LaLiga match against Las Palmas.
Ancelotti was clear in his assessment of the team’s performance, stating, “I won’t name anyone, I’m talking about the whole team. We didn’t defend well, we weren’t compact, and we have to defend better … We had an extra man [after Szczesny’s red card] and we couldn’t find solutions. But that doesn’t hurt more, I’m sad about the game as a whole.”
Despite the defeat, Ancelotti took a moment to praise Mbappé, who has been a standout performer for Madrid. “I’d focus on Mbappé, who had a very good game,” Ancelotti said. “It was a great move to score the goal. But the rest we should forget about, and look forward.”
Meanwhile, veteran midfielder Luka Modric expressed confidence in the team’s ability to bounce back. “I’m sure we’re going to react after this tough defeat,” Modric told reporters. “We didn’t expect to lose like that, but it’s football. We’re sorry to the fans. We have to keep going, stay united, there’s a lot of season left … You can’t always win. If you have to lose a trophy, we’d prefer it to be this one.”
Modric also extended congratulations to Barcelona, acknowledging their superior performance. “We have to congratulate Barcelona, they played a very good game, they were better and that’s all. We have to improve and correct our mistakes.”
- Real Madrid’s next matches: Copa del Rey against Celta Vigo, LaLiga against Las Palmas.
- Key player performances: Kylian Mbappé’s consistent scoring in finals.
- Coach Ancelotti’s focus on team defense and future improvements.
Originally Written by: Alex Kirkland,Rodrigo Faez
