Ancelotti: Unbalanced Real Madrid need to improve 'fast'

Posted Friday, August 30, 2024 by ESPN

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said his team "must find an improvement fast" after their 1-1 draw at Las Palmas left them four points behind LaLiga leaders Barcelona at the top of the table.

Alberto Moleiro put Las Palmas ahead in the fifth minute, and Vinícius Júnior levelled with a second-half penalty, as Madrid were held for the second time in three league games, following their opening 1-1 draw at Mallorca.

Kylian Mbappé played the full 90 minutes --- taking nine shots, two of them on target, for an xG (expected goals) of 0.51 --- but was unable to score for the third game in a row.

"It was a bad first half," Ancelotti admitted in his post-match news conference. "It was hard for us to find the goal. We had to hang on, suffer a bit.

"The team wasn't balanced, we weren't moving the ball quickly. It was hard for us to win the ball back. Everything that happened [in the draw] against Mallorca. I didn't see an improvement in the team. We must find an improvement fast, and I think we'll find it."

Spanish champions Madrid began the season winning the UEFA Super Cup -- with Mbappé on the scoresheet -- before beginning their 2024-25 LaLiga campaign by dropping two points at Mallorca.

They beat Real Valladolid 3-0 at home on Sunday, and after Thursday's draw at Las Palmas, they will host Real Betis on Sunday, before travelling to Real Sociedad after the international break.

"It's been hard for us to find the solidity we had last year," Ancelotti said. "We can't look for excuses, we have to improve fast, we have another game on Sunday.

"I have to be clearer in the strategy on the pitch, to give clarity to the players. It's been harder for us than we thought... These three games have shown me a lot of things that aren't going well."

Ancelotti made four changes to his team against Las Palmas, with Lucas Vázquez, Ferland Mendy, Luka Modric and Brahim Díaz coming in, without a notable improvement.

"The play is slow, there isn't much mobility, and without the ball it's hard for us to be compact," Ancelotti said. "We're leaving spaces between the lines. The problem is clear, we have to find the solution ... When there's a problem, the coach has to take the responsibility."

The Italian also insisted that Madrid wouldn't look to strengthen before the transfer window closes on Friday, saying "the squad is closed."