Carlo Ancelotti speaks to the media in a post match press conference after the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD5 match between Liverpool FC and Real Madrid C.F. at Anfield on November 27, 2024
Carlo Ancelotti conceded that Liverpool fully deserved their win over his Real Madrid team - with Kylian Mbappe's penalty miss proving crucial at Anfield.
The Reds secured a 2-0 victory in the Champions League match at Anfield on Wednesday evening with goals from Alexis Mac Allister and Cody Gakpo. It leave the European champions looking over the shoulder in the new-look competition and they are in jeopardy of exiting the tournament early.
Whilst Liverpool their flawless start to the competition, topping the group, Real Madrid have slumped to the last qualification spot with just three matches to go. As it stands, they're going to be involved in the 16-team playoff before the last 16 gets underway.
Mbappe's miss, with the score 1-0, was seen as a game-changing moment by the ex-Everton boss. He acknowledged: "To be totally honest, it's a fair result. Liverpool deserved to win.
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"They have a real good dynamic at the moment and are in great form. They were really switched on, connected, playing with high intensity."
The Italan also reflected on his side's performance: "We did okay in the first half, we held them and set up quite well and defended well as a unit. In transitions we were okay. But then we lost the ball and once we gained the ball we made the wrong decision going forward."
Ancelotti highlighted the importance of the penalty miss: "We fought right up until the point of the penalty. If we could have evened it up, we had competed well up to that point. But we have to keep going.
"This is the road we are on at the moment, we have to fight for everything. There are things we have to improve. And we will improve, nothing more really."
He also admitted his team didn't make the right calls in the latter half of the game, conceding: "In the second half we didn't make the right decisions. But Liverpool were great in the second half."
Kylian Mbappe endured an awful evening against Liverpool
The Real Madrid boss also downplayed the significance of the fixture in terms of league standings: "This game wasn't a decisive game in terms of our league position, it was always going to be tough for us to finish in the top eight so we have to finish in top 24 as high as we can. We will be competing in the Champions League knockout stages like we always are."
Ancelotti also addressed Mbappe's slump, sympathising with the Frenchman: "Forwards, when they don't score they get a bit disappointed and lose confidence. There's a medicine. It's a difficult moment for Mbappe, we have to give him our support and our love and he'll soon be fine."
"It could be a lack of confidence. The idea is to keep things simple and not overcomplicate it. You get through these moments. You can't blame someone for missing a penalty, you can't put too much grief on him for that.
"He just has to get through it."
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