Carlo Ancelotti rejects rift rumour over key star as Real Madrid's title hopes collapse
Real Madrid's aspirations to retain their La Liga title were severely damaged after a 4-3 defeat to Barcelona in El Clasico, highlighting the defensive vulnerabilities of Carlo Ancelotti's squad. Despite a hat-trick from Kylian Mbappe, the team was outclassed by Barcelona, who now lead the league by seven points with only three games remaining. Ancelotti, who is likely to depart at the end of the month, denied any rift with player Rodrygo Goes, explaining that injuries and health issues prevented Rodrygo from playing. The coach emphasized the impact of missing five key defenders and expressed the need for Barcelona to falter in order for Real Madrid to have a chance at the title. Ancelotti's decision to play other young talents instead of Rodrygo was based on the player's incomplete recovery and a desire to avoid further injuries.
Context:
Real Madrid's aspirations to retain their La Liga title were severely damaged after a 4-3 defeat to Barcelona in El Clasico, highlighting the defensive vulnerabilities of Carlo Ancelotti's squad. Despite a hat-trick from Kylian Mbappe, the team was outclassed by Barcelona, who now lead the league by seven points with only three games remaining. Ancelotti, who is likely to depart at the end of the month, denied any rift with player Rodrygo Goes, explaining that injuries and health issues prevented Rodrygo from playing. The coach emphasized the impact of missing five key defenders and expressed the need for Barcelona to falter in order for Real Madrid to have a chance at the title. Ancelotti's decision to play other young talents instead of Rodrygo was based on the player's incomplete recovery and a desire to avoid further injuries.
Dive Deeper:
Real Madrid's title defense hopes were shattered by a 4-3 loss to Barcelona in El Clasico, despite Kylian Mbappe's hat-trick keeping them competitive in the match. Barcelona's victory extends their lead at the top of La Liga by seven points with only three games left in the season.
Carlo Ancelotti is anticipated to leave Real Madrid by the end of the month, with Xabi Alonso poised to replace him, as Barcelona is on the verge of clinching the title in Hansi Flick's debut season.
Ancelotti dismissed rumors of a dispute with Rodrygo Goes, clarifying that the player's absence was due to health issues and an incomplete recovery from injury, which prevented him from being match-ready.
The Italian manager highlighted the significant impact of Real Madrid's defensive injury crisis, as they were missing five key defenders, which contributed to their struggle against Barcelona.
Ancelotti's strategy during the match involved substituting teenager Endrick Felipe and debutant Víctor Muñoz, instead of Rodrygo, which raised speculation about Rodrygo's future, but Ancelotti insisted it was a tactical decision to avoid risking further injuries.
To have any hope of winning the title, Real Madrid must rely on Barcelona making significant slip-ups in the remaining matches, as they prepare to face Mallorca, Sevilla, and Real Sociedad.
The coach's post-match comments underscored the challenges faced by the team, including the injuries to key players like Vinicius, and the need for strategic decisions in the face of adversity.
Real Madrid's hopes of defending their La Liga title crown were blown apart by a 4-3 El Clasico defeat at Barcelona.
Carlo Ancelotti's side needed a win on the road in Catalonia to keep their faint hops alive but Los Blancos were simply overpowered by the rampant hosts.
Kylian Mbappe's hat-trick kept Real Madrid in the game, either side of Barcelona scoring four times in the first-half, but the end result leaves Ancelotti's campaign in tatters.
The Italian is expected to leave at the end of the month - with Xabi Alonso on standby to come in - as Barcelona close in on the title in Hansi Flick's debut campaign.
The key statistic at the end of the game is Barcelona now hold a seven-point lead at the top of the La Liga rankings with three games to play.
A frustrated Ancelotti cited Real Madrid's defensive injury crisis in his post-match press conference and he also rejected rumours of an argument with Brazil international Rodrygo Goes.
What did Carlo Ancelotti say about Rodrygo after El Clasico defeat?
Rodrygo missed Real Madrid's 3-2 win over Celta Vigo on May 4 after being substituted in the Copa del Rey final loss to Barcelona the previous week.Ancelotti stuck with an unchanged team at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, with his No.11 named on the bench, after he failed to recover from injury sufficiently to start.
A mix of injury recovery - and a virus picked up in midweek - meant Ancelotti was not confident enough to start the 24-year-old.
However, as Real Madrid chased a goal late on, Ancelotti threw on teenager Endrick Felipe and debutant Víctor Muñoz, instead of Rodrygo.
- That raised questions over the situation with the 24-year-old forward, who has been linked with a summer switch to the Premier League, but Ancelotti claimed it was more simple.
"He had recovered, but he was not feeling well," as per quotes from Marca.
"There's nothing wrong, I have zero problems with him. He wasn't at 100%. If you put him in for five or seven minutes, not at 100%, you're only getting injured.
"We mustn't forget that we were missing five defenders at Barcelona, we mustn't forget that. Now, Vinicius is injured, he could not finish the game."
Ancelotti now needs major slip ups from Barcelona to stand any chance of retaining the title as his side host Mallorca on May 14, travel to Sevilla four days later, and round off the season at home to Real Sociedad on May 25.
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