Champions League causing Madrid, other big teams, struggles

Carlo Ancelotti defended Real Madrid’s performance in their 2-1 LaLiga win over Rayo Vallecano on Sunday, pointing to the struggles of a number of teams balancing Champions League football with domestic duties.

Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior put Madrid 2-0 up in the first half at the Santiago Bernabéu, before Pedro Díaz pulled a goal back for Rayo to ensure a nervous second half.

Madrid disappointed after the break, but took all three points to go level with Barcelona — who have a game in hand — at the top of the LaLiga table.

“The feeling is good, because the target is to pick up points,” Ancelotti insisted in his post-match news conference. “We had a very good first half… When you get to 70 or 75 minutes at 2-1, you have to do one thing, which is defend well.

“A lot of teams played in the Champions League and suffered [this weekend]. It was difficult for Inter against Monza [in Serie A]. Liverpool against Southampton [in the Premier League]. [Bayer] Leverkusen lost, Bayern [Munich] lost [in the Bundesliga. It’s difficult to prepare for these games, against teams like Rayo which play with intensity. I’ll repeat myself: the first half was very good.”

Madrid had been on a poor run of form in LaLiga, with one win in five games going into the Rayo match.

However their title hopes were buoyed by Atletico Madrid slipping to a 2-1 defeat at Getafe earlier on Sunday.

Ancelotti praised the performances of Mbappé and Vinícius, who had received some criticism for their showings against Atletico in their Champions League last 16 first leg in midweek.

“Vinicius and Mbappé scored two spectacular goals,” Ancelotti said. “They did well, and then when I thought we had to defend, I took the forwards off. It’s not a problem, they played fewer minutes and that will be good for the [second leg] on Wednesday.”

Ancelotti said goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois — who didn’t make the squad against Rayo — had a “little problem” but should be fit for the Champions League, adding that defender Antonio Rüdiger, who has the flu, should also be available.