Sports
THREE losses in five games and facing an uphill task to qualify for the next phase of the Champions League.
That is not a position 15-time European champions Real Madrid expected to be in.
Sitting 24th in the table following a 2-0 defeat by Liverpool on Wednesday, the Spanish giants find themselves in big trouble in the tournament in which they have long been heralded masters.
In the competition’s new format, the top eight teams automatically reach the last-16 while those in ninth-24th move into a two-legged play-off.
The defending champions are currently 24th and face the genuine prospect of not reaching the next phase.
Superstars Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham had little influence on the game, with the former’s penalty miss summing up a torrid night for the holders.
England midfielder Bellingham said Liverpool were “more up for it” than his side while pundits said Real’s current performances are “alarming”.
With three losses in their five Champions League matches, as many as in their previous 24 games, what is going wrong for Real Madrid? Could they really be eliminated from the competition they have become so synonymous with?
Mbappe’s move to Real Madrid has dominated headlines from the word go.
The months of speculation, the fact Paris St-Germain had to let him go for free, the astronomical wages, the hype and expectation.
And now, the French forward’s struggle to settle into this team of superstars.
“We haven’t seen the best of Mbappe tonight,” former Real midfielder Steve McManaman said on TNT Sports.
“They needed Mbappe tonight and he flattered to deceive. The Madrid press will be ruthless because he didn’t deliver again when he needed to.
“Madrid are going through a rough patch and the big players are not performing. All the baggage around Mbappe magnifies it. This year they are really, really struggling.”
Mbappe has not found his feet and questions remain over his position and how to get the best out of both he and Vinicius Jr, who plays a similar role, in the same team.
In the absence of Vinicius Jr through injury, Mbappe still failed to make his mark. But his team-mates remain confident he can produce.
“Kylian is a wonderful player but the pressure is humongous,” said Bellingham.
“The penalty is not why we lost the game. Kylian can keep his head high and I know for sure he will produce many more big moments for this club.”
Bellingham, injuries, Ancelotti – what else is going wrong?
It is easy to cite Mbappe’s penalty miss and his lack of impact on the game as reasons why Real lost.
But the reality is Mbappe wasn’t the only one to struggle. Bellingham is yet to score in this Champions League campaign and in the build-up to this match the 21-year-old said he felt he was used as a “scapegoat” at this summer’s Euros, where England finished runners-up to Spain.
“Going into the Euros everyone was really excited about Bellingham’s form and he dipped a little bit, as did a lot of England players,” said former Blackburn striker Chris Sutton on BBC Radio 5 Live.
“When you are as high profile a player as he is then you come to be judged by your performances and maybe he didn’t hit the level that people have come to expect.”
Perhaps even more of a concern is Ancelotti’s ever growing injury list.
Midfielder Eduardo Camavinga hobbled off at Anfield with a suspected hamstring problem and joins full-back Dani Carvajal, forwards Rodrygo and Vinicius Jr, midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni and defenders David Alaba and Eder Militao on Real’s list of wounded.
Pressure in Spain is also on boss Ancelotti.
Despite guiding them to La Liga and Champions League glory last season, the Italian has faced criticism from the media.
But Spanish football expert Guillem Balague says a dig Ancelotti made in Tuesday’s press conference where he said “no-one can give me advice about substitutions – I have managed 1,300 games, compiled 1,300 line-ups and made more than 4,000 substitutions” was not aimed at the press but at Real’s higher ups.
“It is because he feels people in the club are doubting his ability to turn this around,” said Balague.
“He feels that the doubts will grow with every game because he is unable to put a team out at the moment that is fluent in football, these things require time.
“But he knows not a lot of time is allowed at Real Madrid and the doubt if he is the man for the job in the near future comes from within.”
Pressure really on for ‘alarming’ Real
Real Madrid have never been knocked out at the group stage of the Champions League, albeit this year’s updated format gives them some grace to make up lost ground.
But while Liverpool’s form this season indicates something special could be bubbling, this was the first time they had beaten Real in eight Champions League meetings, including two finals.
Usually a juggernaut in this competition, former Manchester United and England defender Rio Ferdinand said Real’s current form is “alarming”.
“When you have superstars, you can change your season at any point,” he said.
“The football is a big concern. You have to prove to your teammates you are the guy – Mbappe will be wanting to prove to his team-mates ‘I am a galactico, I am the guy.’
“That moment will come again soon. It has to, they could be heading out.”
But Real have experienced everything in this competition and the message from Ancelotti following the defeat was clear.
“We will qualify to the next round and we will compete as every year. You will see. We are going to go through.” – bbcsport
A.I
Nov. 28, 2024
Tags: Mbappe
