Carlo Ancelotti, manager of Real Madrid, did not hide his frustration following the 2-1 defeat to Real Betis at the Benito Villamarín. In the post-match press conference, the Italian coach was blunt in his analysis, pointing out the lack of "attitude and commitment" from his players and making it clear that, without a reaction, their chances of success in the Champions League Madrid derby against Atlético de Madrid would be seriously compromised.

"Bad game. We started well, but after that, we couldn’t maintain the initial rhythm, nor show the necessary attitude or commitment," said Ancelotti critically. The coach also acknowledged the superiority of the opponent, who, according to him, played "better than us and deserved to win."

The Real Madrid manager was direct with his message, stating that the defeat was a "hard blow" and that the team needs an immediate response. "Losing at this point in the season hurts because all the teams are running, and we didn’t do it well," he added in a serious tone.

Reaction ahead of the derby against Atlético de Madrid

Ancelotti made it clear that the performance shown in the match against Betis would not be enough to face the challenge against Atlético de Madrid in the Champions League. "If we play like this, we won’t win on Tuesday, that’s pretty clear. Hopefully, this game will serve to wake us up for the next one," said the coach, who noted that the team failed to maintain the order and cohesion they had shown in previous matches.

The Italian coach pointed out that one of the most obvious issues in the defeat was the number of ball losses, a key factor that allowed Betis to get back into the game. "We lost 27 balls in the first half, and that gave Betis the chance to get into the game," explained Ancelotti, emphasizing the lack of control and precision from his team.

Regarding the substitution of Kylian Mbappé with fifteen minutes remaining, Ancelotti justified his decision by stating that the French forward wasn’t in optimal condition due to a dental issue that had affected his performance. "Mbappé hasn’t trained much and wasn’t at 100%, so I preferred to take him off and give minutes to Endrick, who is in good form," concluded the Real Madrid manager.