Coach Carlo Ancelotti was left unhappy but accepting of the result. Los Blancos were sluggish on the day, and the Italian admitted that they were a long way away from the side that ended 2021 in fine form and as runaway LaLiga leaders.
Madrid weren’t the same team that ended the year
Real Madrid started their 2022 in the worst possible way on Sunday, slumping to a 1-0 defeat at Getafe in LaLiga’s early game. Coach Carlo Ancelotti was left unhappy but accepting of the result. Los Blancos were sluggish on the day, and the Italian admitted that they were a long way away from the side that ended 2021 in fine form and as runaway LaLiga Santander leaders. “We reacted well for 10 minutes after the goal and then became nervous,” Ancelotti said. “We lost balls and battles. There’s not a lot to say about the game. We stayed on holidays for an extra day. We weren’t the same team that ended the year. We were less focused, less committed. A draw would have been fair because we didn’t deserve to lose, but we gifted a goal, and we lost. It could be a wake-up call. We seemed like we were still on holidays.”
Some of the coach’s selection choices raised eyebrows ahead of kick-off and during the game, most notably Marcelo’s involvement and Eden Hazard’s left out of the XI. “We decided to play with Marco Asensio and Rodrygo Goes,” Ancelotti explained. “I preferred to start with them. I knew they wouldn’t last 90 minutes because of the COVID situation; that’s why I left Hazard for the second half, and he was brilliant when he came on, linking well with Marcelo.” Despite the loss, though, the Italian is still optimistic and pleased with his team’s work. “After training yesterday, I told the players that I really liked what I saw,” Ancelotti said.
“They were switched on, competitive. It’s not a criticism, because the coach was also on holidays today. We’re still leaders, without a crisis, and we’ll keep going with a lot of motivation.”