Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti expressed his dissatisfaction with his team's performance in their La Liga opener, which ended in a 1-1 draw against Mallorca on Sunday. Ancelotti criticized the team's lack of balance and poor defending, noting that they allowed Mallorca to equalize with a Vedat Muriqi header after taking an early lead through Rodrygo.
"Today, I am not happy. I believe we could have performed much better," Ancelotti said at a press conference, visibly frustrated. "We need to concentrate more, work better as a team... It's not a fitness issue, but a mental one." He refused to make excuses, emphasizing the need for better performance and attitude, and highlighted the lessons that could be drawn from the match.
Ancelotti was particularly critical of the team's defensive performance, calling for more discipline, especially given the team's attacking lineup featuring players like Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr, Rodrygo, and Jude Bellingham. He warned that the team could have lost due to their own mistakes and urged his players to quickly learn from their errors on Sunday.
"We started well, took the lead, and had chances to score more, but we lacked balance in the second half," Ancelotti noted. "It was a game we could have lost due to our lack of balance. Our defensive balance is crucial, given our attacking style." He pointed out the team's struggles in regaining possession and pressing after losing the ball, stressing the importance of collective commitment in defense.
Ancelotti concluded that the issue was not limited to any specific part of the team but was a collective problem, emphasizing that understanding the importance of defensive balance was key to their performance.
