‘Disturbed’ Ancelotti calls Madrid ‘not good from the first minute’ in Spanish Super Cup defeat

Carlo Ancelotti criticized Real Madrid’s defense and said he was “upset with the whole game” after they defeated 5-2 by Barcelona in the final of the Spanish Super Cup.

Two-time Super Cup winner Ancelotti saw Kylian Mbappe’s performance as a positive after the striker scored a superb fifth-minute goal, but Barca managed to score Lamine YamalRobert Lewandowski, Raphinha and Alejandro Balde led 4-1 at half-time in Jeddah.

“We should try to play football, because we didn’t do that in the first half,” Ancelotti told Movistar, via ASwhen asked what he said to his players at halftime.

“We used long balls, but that should have been an option, not an idea. The idea was to play, but we didn’t do it. I said we can lose, but not like in the first half.”

Madrid vs. Barcelona

After Raphinha made it 4-1 in the 48th minute, Madrid received a much-needed boost when Barca goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny was shown a straight red card eight minutes later for interfering with Mbappe.

Rodrygo’s 60th-minute free-kick was the end of the European champions’ comeback, with Barca avenging their 4-1 defeat in last season’s final.

We have to look at reality, Ancelotti said. “We didn’t defend well. They scored goals very easily. We did not function well either on a collective or individual level.

“It leaves us sad and disappointed. Our grief is the grief of our fans. I don’t want to point the finger at anyone. They didn’t defend well at the back. The team was not compact.

“The game was not good from the first to the last minute. We were brave and couldn’t create chances. I’m upset about the whole game.”

La Liga: Madrid schedules

Current Spanish champions Madrid are five points ahead of Barcelona in second place Leaguewith leaders Atletico Madrid a point more.

The holders of the Champions League are at home against Celta Vigo in the Round of 16 of the King’s Cup on Thursday (20:30), and on Sunday (15:15) they host 14th Las Palmas in the league.

“There is still a lot of season left and we have to look forward,” Ancelotti said. “(We’ll) go home, reflect and prepare for Thursday’s game.”