After Real Madrid’s defeat to Real Betis, coach Carlo Ancelotti didn’t hold back his frustration, warning that if his team continues playing this way, they will also struggle against Atlético Madrid in the Champions League.
Ancelotti is usually reserved in expressing emotions, whether in disappointment or celebration. But this time, he made no attempt to hide his irritation. With the season entering a crucial phase, he acknowledged that this loss could jeopardize their La Liga title hopes.
Real Madrid took an early lead in Saturday’s La Liga clash at Betis, with Brahim Díaz scoring in the 10th minute. However, Betis equalized in the 34th minute before former Madrid player Isco put them ahead with a penalty in the 54th minute.
The defeat has now dented Madrid’s title race. On the same day, Atlético Madrid moved to the top with 56 points after beating Athletic Bilbao. If Barcelona wins on Sunday, they will climb to 57 points, while Real Madrid remains stuck at 54.
After the match, Ancelotti admitted that this defeat could be a major setback in their title defense.
“It was a poor match. We started well, but we couldn’t maintain that rhythm. We lost control against a team that played better than us and fully deserved the win.”
“This is a real setback. Losing a game at this stage of the season could be costly. We simply didn’t play well.”
Madrid was missing key players, with Jude Bellingham suspended and Fede Valverde sidelined due to injury concerns. In defense, Ancelotti opted for David Alaba—who had only just returned from a long injury layoff—over young Raúl Asencio. Meanwhile, big names like Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior, and Rodrygo failed to live up to expectations.
Ancelotti couldn’t say for sure if the problem was mental, but he did acknowledge that the team had only themselves to blame.
“I don’t know… I can’t get inside the players’ minds. But what happened was clear—we lost the rhythm we had in the first 20 minutes. We kept losing possession… we lost the ball 27 times in the first half alone, which is far too much. That gave Betis the opportunity to take control.”
Real Madrid is now trailing in La Liga, and a tough challenge awaits in the Champions League Round of 16, where they face Atlético Madrid on Tuesday. Ancelotti warned that if they don’t improve, winning that game will be unlikely.
“If we play like this, we won’t win on Tuesday. That’s clear. Hopefully, this defeat will serve as a wake-up call. In recent weeks, it felt like we were getting more structured and compact, but today we failed to show that.”
