Carlo Ancelotti admits 'concerns' over Real Madrid's poor form | OneFootball

Real Madrid recorded a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Milan in the Champions League on Tuesday night, casting doubt over the European champions' abilities to replicate last year's triumphs this term.

Carlo Ancelotti's side have failed to impress so far in the 2024/25 campaign, falling behind Barcelona in the La Liga standings whilst sitting in a disappointing 17th place in the new-look Champions League table.

Big-money summer signing Kylian Mbappe has struggled to find his rhythm since swapping Paris-Saint Germain for the Spanish capital, netting eight goals in 15 appearances so far. Meanwhile, Madrid superstar Jude Bellingham has failed to score in 12 outings this season.

Their disappointing continental defeat has highlighted some real problems for Los Blancos, leaving manager Ancelotti worried for their future.

Madrid failed to get the better of Milan / OSCAR DEL POZO/GettyImages

"We have to be concerned, the team is not playing well," the boss told reporters after Tuesday's loss. "The team is not compact, we need to be more compact, more organised, we've conceded a lot of goals. The team is not well organised on the pitch and we need to work on this.

"We have to focus on what we have today, which is a team that is not at its best, and get back to our level so we can fight for all competitions."

When asked what Madrid's problem may be, Ancelotti admitted that it goes deeper than just motivation.

"It is not an issue of motivation or attitude, it's a collective thing that we need to fix quickly," he continued. "On the pitch something is missing and we have not been able to show our best version. We have to fix this, but the nights are going to be very long and we have to recover the solidity that we are lacking.

"That's the problem above all, we've conceded too many goals for a team that is built on solidity."

Madrid will return to action on Saturday when they host Osasuna in the league. They must impress if they are to compete with leaders Barcelona, who sit nine points ahead of the reigning champions.