Carlo Ancelotti admits Real Madrid deserved to lose against Lille

Carlo Ancelotti's side looked off the pace, and despite second-half changes, they couldn't find a way past Lille's resilient defence. 

The loss, Real Madrid's first of the season, highlighted several issues, leaving Ancelotti and his team with plenty to reflect on.

Speaking after the game, Ancelotti admitted his side deserved to lose. "The opposition played better and deserved the win. We struggled with intensity and failed to win duels. An equaliser might have been possible, but it wouldn't have been deserved," he said.

The Italian manager pointed out that his team's slow start was their undoing: "Everything went wrong in the first half. We couldn't win the ball back, and our play was too slow and lacked creativity."

Ancelotti also criticised his players' attitude, expressing concern about the lack of energy and drive. "What worries me most is the team's overall feeling. You can lose matches, but we didn't leave a good impression out there.

"We need to fix things quickly because we have another game on Saturday," he warned.

Despite the poor performance, Ancelotti was honest about the result. "The criticism is fair, and we have to accept it," he stated, adding that he hoped this defeat would serve as a wake-up call, similar to their previous loss against Atletico Madrid earlier in the year.

Real Madrid, who hadn't lost since January, struggled throughout the match. Although they managed to control the early stages with Eduardo Camavinga's return to the starting line-up, the team fell behind after Camavinga conceded a penalty just before half-time. Jonathan David calmly converted from the spot, giving Lille a deserved lead.

Ancelotti made changes after the break, bringing on Kylian Mbappe and Luka Modric in a bid to turn things around.

However, Lille's defence, led by their 17-year-old goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier, stood firm. Chevalier made three crucial saves in the closing stages to deny Modric, Antonio Rudiger, and Jude Bellingham.

Real Madrid's late push wasn't enough to rescue a point, and the loss leaves them in the middle of their Champions League group. With another fixture looming, Ancelotti has little time to regroup as his team faces mounting pressure to get back on track.

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