Real Madrid’s Crisis, and concerning run of form continued as they succumbed to a 3-1 defeat against AC Milan at the Santiago Bernabeu, prompting manager Carlo Ancelotti to express serious concerns about his team’s performance.
The European champions have now suffered consecutive home defeats, with their Champions League campaign hanging precariously after collecting just six points from four matches following their earlier setback at Lille.
Milan took the lead after 12 minutes through Malick Thiaw’s header from Christian Pulisic’s corner, marking the defender’s first goal for the Rossoneri. Though Vinicius Junior, returning after boycotting the Ballon d’Or ceremony, leveled from the penalty spot following a foul by Emerson Royal, Milan regained control through Alvaro Morata’s clinical finish six minutes before the interval.
The visitors’ dominance was further emphasized when Tijjani Reijnders sealed victory with a powerful strike from close range in the 73rd minute. The Dutch midfielder, alongside American Yunus Musah, controlled the midfield battle throughout the evening, overshadowing Madrid’s star-studded central unit.
Madrid’s struggles were epitomized by Kylian Mbappe’s continued goal drought, with the French forward now having scored just once in six appearances. The tactical conundrum of accommodating both Mbappe and Vinicius on the left flank remains unresolved, with the former being deployed centrally to limited effect.
“We have to be worried, the team’s not giving a good account of itself,” Ancelotti admitted post-match. “We have to be more compact, more organised, we’ve let in a lot of goals. We’re not well organised on the pitch and we have to work on that.”
The defeat compounds Madrid’s domestic concerns, leaving them nine points adrift of Barcelona in La Liga following their recent 4-0 Clasico humbling. A late Antonio Rudiger goal was chalked off by VAR, while Jude Bellingham’s frustration was evident as he kicked a water bottle upon being substituted.
Milan manager Paulo Fonseca praised his team’s courageous display: “The players came here with courage, they didn’t have any fear. In the first half we created plenty and in the second half we were on the back foot, but we fought together. We definitely deserved to win.”
The match began with both teams wearing white T-shirts displaying “we are all Valencia” in solidarity with the flood-affected region, whose weekend fixture with Madrid was postponed. A Valencia city flag was prominently displayed during the pre-match minute of silence. Madrid’s Crisis
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