Carlo Ancelotti did not hold back in his post-match comments after Real Madrid’s disappointing 5-2 loss to FC Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final. The Italian manager was blunt about his team’s lackluster performance, criticizing their defensive lapses and failure to play cohesive football, particularly in the first half. Despite an early lead from Kylian Mbappe, who capitalized on a Vinicius Jr. steal, Madrid quickly found themselves trailing 4-1 by halftime, a deficit they couldn’t recover from.
Barcelona, led by Raphinha, who scored twice, dominated the first half and added another goal after the break. Real Madrid did pull one back with a free kick from Rodrygo after Barca’s goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny was sent off for a reckless challenge on Mbappe. However, even with an extra player, Madrid struggled to capitalize on the opportunity, as Barcelona held firm and defended their lead.
Ancelotti, visibly disappointed, admitted the team’s performance left much to be desired. “We didn’t defend well. They scored goals very easily. We didn’t work well collectively or individually,” he said. Despite the heavy defeat, he refrained from singling out players for blame, though he did mention the poor defending from Aurelien Tchouameni and Lucas Vazquez.
“The game was not good from the first minute to the last,” Ancelotti lamented. “We were left with one more player and couldn’t create scoring situations. I’m hurt about the whole game.” His words painted a picture of a team that lacked organization and direction, unable to adapt after conceding early goals.
During the halftime break, with his team trailing by three goals, Ancelotti urged his players to focus on playing proper football rather than relying on long balls. “I said we could lose, but not like the first half,” he revealed. The tactical shift was necessary, but even with a man advantage in the second half, Madrid could not mount a serious comeback.
