MADRID (Reuters) – Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti lamented his side’s missed opportunities in their stunning 4-0 home defeat to bitter rivals Barcelona in a LaLiga Clasico on Saturday but said it was not all doom and gloom despite the result.
“It was an evenly played match, until they scored their first goal. We played with intensity in the first half but lacked a bit of accuracy. We had chances to take the lead but they scored two goals, which sapped our energy. That’s when another game started,” Ancelotti told a press conference of Robert Lewandowski’s quick-fire double early in the second-half to set the LaLiga leaders Barca on course for a 4-0 thrashing.
Prior to that, the home side had dominated possession and missed various chances, mainly through off-form Kylian Mbappe. Lamine Yamal and Raphinha wrapped Barca’s win later.
“We are hurt, it’s a tough moment, but I want to thank the fans for their support. We don’t have to throw everything away, because there is nothing to throw away,” added a downhearted Ancelotti.
“We have to forget the last 30 minutes. The season is very long, we must not give up. We have to learn from it. It’s time to bounce back. The season is long. We must not throw everything away. The team can do better and we will.”
Ancelotti said he thinks Real Madrid deserved better and that he didn’t believe the result told the true story of the match, but acknowledged that his team paid the price for missing so many chances.
“The result doesn’t reflect what happened on the pitch. We couldn’t take the lead and they went ahead and took it. The game, until the first goal, was very even and we had more chances,” Ancelotti said, before commenting on Mbappe’s lacklustre performance, being caught offside nine times.
“It was known that Barca use a high defence and we barely took advantage of it. (Mbappe) had chances and sometimes was offside, but he had three or four chances where he needed to be more accurate…”
Barca stretched their lead at the top with 30 points, six above Real who saw their 42-game unbeaten LaLiga run come to a bitter end after 13 months, leaving them one tantalizing positive result away from equalling the Catalans’ league record of 43.
(Reporting by Fernando Kallas, Editing by Franklin Paul)
