Up Until…’: Ancelotti Reveals the Turning Point That Crushed Real Madrid in Liverpool Defeat” Carlo Ancelotti admitted that Real Madrid struggled to recover from a pivotal second-half moment during their defeat to Liverpool on Wednesday night.
The Champions League holders suffered their third loss in five group-stage matches, as goals from Alexis Mac Allister and Cody Gakpo secured a 2-0 victory for the Reds at Anfield.
The turning point came on the hour mark when Real Madrid were awarded a penalty after Andy Robertson was deemed to have fouled Lucas Vazquez.
However, Caoimhin Kelleher denied Kylian Mbappe from the spot, a moment Ancelotti believes deflated his side.
Speaking after the match, Ancelotti told reporters (via Liverpool Echo): “To be honest, it’s a fair result. Liverpool deserved to win. They’re in great form, dynamic, and play with high intensity.
We did well in the first half, defending as a unit and competing in transitions. But after Kelleher’s save, we lost belief. If we had equalized, we could have maintained momentum, but we struggled after that.
The Italian manager’s honest assessment reflects Real Madrid’s struggles this season, a far cry from their dominance over the past decade.
Unlike the Los Blancos teams that famously clawed back from adversity, this squad had no response to Mbappe’s miss.
While Liverpool responded resiliently after Mohamed Salah’s missed penalty minutes later—sealing the win through Gakpo—Real Madrid couldn’t recover.
Both Ancelotti and Jude Bellingham acknowledged Liverpool’s current dominance, a sharp contrast to Madrid’s diminished threat compared to their last visit to Anfield in February 2023.
