The killer stat continues to turn in Spain. Just think: the Real Madrid have already lost more in less than three months of competition than they did in the whole of the previous season (3 defeats in 16 games compared to 2 in 55 games in 2023-2024). Ten days after his disastrous Clasico (0-4), the reigning European champions made their crisis official on Tuesday with another slap in the face at home to AC Milan (1-3).
An umpteenth Champions League miracle on the previous day against Borussia Dortmund (from 0-2 to 5-2), Carlo Ancelotti’s team this time went down without really reacting, like their French midfielder. Aurélien Tchouaméni. The former Monegasque can clearly be blamed for the first two goals conceded, between his phantom marking of Malick Thiaw’s winning header from a corner (0-1, 12th) and his hallucinating loss of the ball at the origin of the transition completed by Alvaro Morata (1-2, 39th).
Maignan disgusts Mbappé, Diaz and the whole of Real
Punished at half-time, during which he gave way to his compatriot Eduardo CamavingaAurelien Tchouaméni initiated the Merengue wreckage. Even Jude Bellingham’s return to his preferred position as an attacking midfielder behind the Vinicius-Mbappé attacking duo, or the generous penalty awarded to Vinicius (1-1, 23rd), brought no luck to this unrecognizable Real Madrid.
And Kylian Mbappé in all this, after his ” offsidegate “against Barça ? Even though he only touched 42 balls (8 shots, 3 of which were on target), the former Parisian systematically came up against a big man. Mike Maignan (13th, 43rd, 77th). Despite an airborne blunder of no consequence (Rüdiger’s goal disallowed for offside), the Les Bleus goalkeeper disgusted “Kyky”, as did Brahim Diaz, with a final reflex save from a close-range header (90th + 1).
“We’re suffering a lot at the moment”, admits Ancelotti
In addition to the Leao-Reijnders tandem’s last-gasp model goal (1-3, 73rd), the Chiringuito show will be deconstructing Jude Bellingham’s outburst as he angrily kicked a bottle in front of the Madrid bench. The ultimate symbol of a blacker-than-black period for the Merengues, who are in a frightening 17th place on the European scene (6 points from 4 games) ahead of their away match against the Spanish champions. Liverpool and Atalanta Bergamo.
It’s not even certain that Carlo Ancelotti still be the Madrid coach by then, after this first loss in Champions League at the Santiago Bernabeu since… April 2022! Without a midfield boss since the retirement of Toni Kroos, Real Madrid have conceded a staggering nine goals in their last three games.
We’re suffering a lot at the moment,” admits the Real coach. It’s going to be a very long night because we all have to think about how to improve things and regain the solidity we’ve had for so long. We haven’t been playing at our level, and what’s not normal is that our team has gone downhill very quickly in recent games.” What are the odds on a new comeback from “Zizou” to try to save the White House?