The reality is what was seen on the pitch," Carlo Ancelotti said, and what was seen on the pitch wasn't good. In fact, it was awful. So bad that fans of the club who have made miracles their thing left early, whistling as they went. The only surprise was that they didn't whip out the white hankies. Real Madrid were 3-1 down to Milan, who had won once away from San Siro all season, and defeat was as inevitable as it was deserved. Repeated too: in 11 days here Ancelotti's team had lost as many times as in the whole of last season anywhere.
First Barcelona came to the Santiago Bernabéu and scored four, now Milan had got three. Madrid hadn't conceded so many back-to-back at home for 15 years - and the shock was that it had happened so recently. Nor was it just that they had been beaten, it was how they had been beaten: there was an indolence that irritated supporters, a weakness, disorientation and individualism that made Milan's job almost shockingly easy. Madrid hadn't shown up, a bit like for the Ballon d'Or. You might be tempted to call it a system failure, only there was no sign of a system, and after the luxury of 10 days to prepare.
"There's no excuse," Andriy Lunin said. At the beginning of his post-match interview, about as much as the Ukrainian keeper could manage was to sigh: "Pffff..." And even the greeting stuck in his throat. "I can't say 'good evening'," he said. But for him, it would have been more than three, which was bad enough.
"We have to be worried," Ancelotti admitted. "We're lacking something." Something? Right now, Madrid were - are - lacking almost everything. Thibaut Courtois and Dani Carvajal, for a start. But although injured absentees are important, although the line between success and failure is often fine and Madrid have a happy habit of falling on the right side of it, they do not explain this, still less justify it.
この記事は The Guardian の November 07, 2024 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です ? サインイン
この記事は The Guardian の November 07, 2024 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
Macquarie fined £13m for failings that allowed 400 fictitious trades
Macquarie Bank's London branch has been fined £13m by the UK's financial watchdog for \"serious failings\" that allowed one of its junior traders to record more than 400 fictitious trades over a period of 20 months.
Decarbonising Will making 2030 the goal cost more than 2035? Come clean, Labour
The government's plan to decarbonise the electricity system by 2030 is a vast undertaking.
Bosses at Halfords and AO blame budget for predicted price rises
British consumers face paying more for car repairs and new kitchen kit after the retailers Halfords and AO.com warned that the autumn budget had increased their costs.
Fewer women in top FTSE 250 roles as 'glass ceiling' persists
The glass ceiling for women in top roles at FTSE 250 companies is still \"stubbornly in place\", according to research that found the number of women in executive director roles had fallen by more than 10% in the past two years.
Asda revival could take up to five years, says Leighton
It could take three to five years to revive Asda's fortunes, according to the veteran retail boss Allan Leighton, who first helped turn around the supermarket chain more than 20 years ago.
Paradise lost? Cruise ships are having a 'catastrophic impact' on the Bahamas, say activists
Joseph Darville has fond memories of swimming with his young son off the south coast of Grand Bahama island and watching together as dolphins frolicked offshore.
Senior bankers to get bonuses years earlier under new rules
Senior UK bankers will receive their bonuses years earlier under plans by the Bank of England to relax post-financial crisis restrictions.
Romania Pro-Russian's presidential bid troubles Europe
After an upset in the first of three crunch votes that could lead to Romania veering towards a more anti-EU, pro-Russian stance, the country will return to the polls on Sunday for a parliamentary ballot followed, on 8 December, by a presidential runoff.
They were children who looked like me' Netflix show recounts Rio police killings
Netflix show recounts Rio police killings
Ukraine suffers power cuts after Russia launches its biggest drone attack yet
Russia launched its biggest ever drone attack on Ukraine on Monday night and yesterday morning, sending a reported 188 drones into the country against various targets, resulting in power cuts in part of western Ukraine and damage to residential buildings outside Kyiv.
