Ancelotti says Madrid “were not good from the first minute” in Spanish Super Cup thrashing

Carlo Ancelotti has criticized Real Madrid’s defense and said it was “very much for the whole game” after beaten 5-2 by Barcelona in the final of the Spanish Super Cup.

Two-time Super Cup winner Ancelotti hailed Kylian Mbappe’s performance as a positive after the striker scored a brilliant opener in the fifth minute, but Barca scored. Lamine YamalRobert Lewandowski, Raphinha and Alejandro Balde to lead 4-1 at the break in Jeddah.

“We should try to play football, because we didn’t in the first half,” Ancelotti told Movistar via ASwhen asked what he had said to his players at halftime.

“We took advantage of the long balls but that should have been an option, not the idea. The idea was to play and we didn’t. I said we could lose, but not like in the first half.”

Madrid vs Barcelona

After Raphinha made it 4-1 in the 48th minute, Madrid received a much-needed boost when Barca goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny was shown a straight red card eight minutes later for impeding Mbappé.

Rodrygo’s response from a 60th-minute free-kick went as far as the European champions’ comeback, with Barca avenging a 4-1 defeat in last season’s final.

“We have to look at reality,” Ancelotti said. “We didn’t defend well. They scored goals very easily. We have not worked well either collectively or individually.

“It leaves us sad and disappointed. Our sadness is that of our fans. I don’t want to point the finger at anyone. They haven’t defended well at the back. The equipment was not compact.

“The game was not good from the first to the last minute. We were one man down and couldn’t create any chances. I’m upset about the whole game.”

La Liga: Madrid fixtures

The current Spanish champions, Madrid, are five points ahead of Barcelona in second place The Leaguewith the leader Atlético de Madrid one more point ahead.

The Champions League champions are at home to Celta de Vigo in the round of 16 of the Copa del Rey on Thursday (8.30pm) and host Las Palmas, 14th in the league, on Sunday (3.15pm).

“There is still a lot of season left and we have to look ahead,” Ancelotti said. “(Let’s) go home, think and prepare for Thursday’s game.”