Carlo Ancelotti admitted that his Real Madrid team were not “100 percent motivated” as they lost 3-2 to Villarreal in La Liga.
Inspirational play by Samuel Chukwueze led the Yellow Submarine to a memorable win at the Santiago Bernabéu, the first time they had secured a La Liga double against Los Blancos.
While Villarreal had everything to play for as they continue to aim for a top four finish and Champions League football, Madrid’s focus is on other competitions.
Ancelotti’s side beat Barcelona on Wednesday to secure a place in the Copa del Rey final, with the Champions League quarter-final against Chelsea ahead.
12 points behind leaders Barça, Ancelotti admitted it was hard for his team to be motivated for their league games.
“It was a tough game, it was hard to get the ball back, they handle it well, we had opportunities to make it 3-1 and there we could slow down the pace of the game,” he told reporters.
“But that didn’t happen and we didn’t defend well. The truth is that it was difficult for us to be 100 percent motivated, which is quite normal.”
Ancelotti has been adamant that a similar situation will not happen in their upcoming Champions League match against Chelsea, where he expects a reaction from him.
“It was known that it could be difficult, it happened, and the environment is a different story,” he added. “The temperature of the boiler has dropped a little today, but on Wednesday it will be at its peak.”
5 – @realmadriden have lost five of their last 16 games in @LaLigaRU (W8 D3), as in the previous 78 matches (W56 D17 L5).
Defocused. pic.twitter.com/tByRA8gYiH
— OptaJose (@OptaJose) April 8, 2023