'Strange' Real Madrid goal drought perplexes Carlo Ancelotti

Posted Monday, March 06, 2023 by ESPN

Carlo Ancelotti blamed Real Madrid's "lack of efficiency" for the "strange" goal drought which continued with a 0-0 draw at Real Betis to leave them nine points behind LaLiga leaders Barcelona.

Madrid have followed last week's stunning 5-2 win at Liverpool in the Champions League round-of-16 with a 1-1 league draw with Atletico Madrid -- youngster Alvaro Rodriguez scoring with a header from a corner -- a 1-0 home defeat to Barca in the Copa del Rey, and now Sunday's goalless draw at the Estadio Benito Villamarin.

Despite dropping four points in a week, Ancelotti insisted that Madrid hadn't blown their chances of competing for the league title.

"It isn't impossible, so it's possible," the Italian said. "It's very difficult, but we'll fight until the end and then we'll see. It's quite unusual for Madrid to score just one goal, from a set piece, in three games. We scored five [goals] at Anfield, so it's strange.

"I'm more upset than angry. It's strange that this team with its quality can't score goals in three games, that's the reality, it affects me, the players are affected too, we can score goals, we always have. That's the problem, being more efficient."

Real Madrid were held without a goal for the fourth time in their last 11 matches in a draw against Real Betis.

Madrid had fifteen shots against Betis, five of them on target, but were unable to beat goalkeeper Claudio Bravo.

"We lacked efficiency, that's the reality," Ancelotti said. "It's obvious what we're lacking. We have the quality, but we have to do better.

"Sometimes we didn't choose the best solution, dribbling when you shouldn't, trying a one-two, passing instead of shooting. It isn't an individual problem, it's a collective problem."

Ancelotti also defended Madrid's squad planning, after leaving three forwards -- Marco Asensio, Mariano Diaz and Eden Hazard -- on the bench as unused substitutes in Seville, despite the team needing a goal.

"The make-up of the squad seems normal to me," he said. "This squad scored five goals at Anfield."