Real Madrid’s long unbeaten streak came to a sudden halt on Wednesday, as they were defeated 1-0 by Lille in the Champions League. Coach Carlo Ancelotti admitted the criticism of his side’s performance was justified, following Jonathan David’s decisive penalty just before half-time that secured the French side a well-deserved victory.
“I am very honest. Criticism of us for today’s game is fair and correct and we have to accept it. We did not play well in this game,” Ancelotti said after Real’s first loss in 37 games across all competitions, and their first defeat in the Champions League since the 2023 semi-final against Manchester City.
“This has not happened to us much recently luckily. Our opponents played better than us and deserved to win,” Ancelotti continued, acknowledging the need for his team to improve.
Real Madrid’s previous Champions League campaign saw them beat Borussia Dortmund in the final, but this year’s new format presents fresh challenges. Ancelotti downplayed concerns about the impact of the defeat on their campaign, pointing out that this loss was more about their lacklustre performance.
The defeat leaves Madrid alongside other European heavyweights, such as Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, and Bayern Munich, with one win and one loss after two group matches. The new Champions League format sees 36 teams playing in a single pool, with the top eight advancing directly to the last 16, while places from 9th to 24th will be decided via play-offs.
