Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti bemoaned his team’s inefficiency following a 0-0 draw with Real Betis.
The gap between Real Madrid and Barcelona at the top of the table has increased to nine points after the Catalan giants beat Valencia 1-0 despite Ronald Araujo’s second-half red card.
Real Madrid recently thrashed Liverpool 5-2 in the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie at Anfield, but they have taken only eight points from a possible 18 in their last six La Liga games.
The reigning European champions have failed to score in three of those games, with Real Betis blunting Los Blancos’ attack on Sunday, giving Ancelotti plenty to think about in his post-match press conference.
“It was an open game, we wanted to do it that way. The truth is that we lacked efficiency up front,” the Italian conceded.
“Not so much in the last 30 minutes, where control was constant. In the first half the game was more open, there could be more solutions there to create chances. But right now we lack efficiency, we dribble one more, shot less, pass one more, too many walls…This has cost us not scoring in the last three games.
“We had three or four chances, very clear. The data is quite evident, one goal only from set pieces.”
Asked whether he was angry with Real’s inability to find the breakthrough, Ancelotti added: “I am affected more than angry. This affects us, a team like this quality cannot go three games without scoring a goal. It affects me a lot, the players are also affected because we have the quality to score goals as we have always done. I think the problem It’s there, a little more efficiency.”
Next up is a clash with Espanyol at the Santiago Bernabeu before Liverpool come calling four days later looking to achieve the seemingly impossible Champions League comeback.