Sports
Real Madrid’s struggles deepen, loses 3-1 to AC Milan at Bernabeu
Carlo Ancelotti expressed growing concern after Real Madrid suffered a 3-1 defeat to AC Milan at the Santiago Bernabeu, marking their second consecutive home loss and leaving them with just six points from four Champions League matches.
Despite an equalizing penalty by Vinicius Junior following Malick Thiaw’s early header, Real Madrid fell behind again before halftime, with former Madrid striker Alvaro Morata striking against his old club.
Tijjani Reijnders sealed the victory for Milan with a powerful finish, dealing a blow to Ancelotti’s reigning European champions.
“We have to be worried,” Ancelotti admitted. “The team’s not giving a good account of itself. We need to be more compact and organized; we’ve let in too many goals.”
His comments come as Madrid struggle both domestically and in Europe, with their previous 4-0 El Clasico loss to Barcelona dropping them nine points behind their rivals in La Liga.
Meanwhile, Milan manager Paulo Fonseca praised his team’s resilience and courage, acknowledging that their confidence fueled the victory despite Milan’s own inconsistent season.
“The players came here with courage,” Fonseca said, highlighting Milan’s well-balanced performance that left Madrid chasing the game.
Madrid’s forward line also faced difficulties, with Kylian Mbappe continuing to struggle to find the net.
Played centrally to accommodate Vinicius on the left, Mbappe’s frustration mirrored that of the home crowd.
In midfield, Madrid stars like Jude Bellingham had an off night, as Milan’s Reijnders and Yunus Musah dominated the center of the pitch.
Bellingham’s night ended in frustration after being subbed following Milan’s third goal, visibly disappointed with the team’s performance.
Adding to the somber atmosphere, Madrid and Milan players wore “we are all Valencia” T-shirts before kick-off in solidarity with flood-affected areas in Spain, with a minute of silence observed before the match.
With their Champions League progression now in doubt, Madrid will need to find solutions quickly to regain form as they look to recover both in Europe and domestically.