Real Madrid's Carlo Ancelotti fumes at lost points after 'crazy' Levante draw

Real Madrid's Carlo Ancelotti fumes at lost points after 'crazy' Levante draw

ESPN·2021-08-23 22:00

Carlo Ancelotti has said Real Madrid's "crazy" 3-3 draw at Levante leaves "a bad taste" after the team "gave away two points" by conceding three times in the second half.Gareth Bale had put Madrid 1-0 up inside the first five minutes of Sunday's LaLiga match, setting up a dominant first-half display.The game was transformed after half time though. Roger Marti levelled for Levante and Jose Campana put them ahead, before substitute Vinicius Junior made it 2-2.- Stream LaLiga LIVE on ESPN+ (U.S. only)- Don't have ESPN? Get instant accessRober Pier put the hosts back in front but Vinicius scored again, before keeper Aitor Fernandez was sent off for handling outside the box, forcing defender Ruben Vezo to play in goal."A crazy game. We had controlled it," coach Ancelotti told Movistar. "It can't be the case that after controlling the first half, we started the second sloppily. We gave away two points after a good first half. We must improve defensively."It's difficult to explain. I told the players that although we had the game under control, a little detail can change the match. They got braver, we had a bit of fear... We go home with a bit of a bad taste. With how we played in the first half, we had to win."Ancelotti pointed to the team's "defensive commitment" as being at fault, criticising "a problem of sacrifice and concentration, not quality.Real Madrid's Carlo Ancelotti was not happy with his team's performance. Photo by David S. Bustamante/Soccrates/Getty Images"The third [goal] was bad luck," he said. "For the first, we weren't well-positioned in defence. The second was a cross and we were two [defenders] against three, that can't be, it has to be at least three on three."Vinicius, 21, has started both of Real Madrid's LaLiga matches this season on the bench but is now the league's joint-top scorer with three goals, after also finding the net against Alaves on the first weekend.When asked if he would start next weekend, Ancelotti said: "We have to think a bit differently. Five of the players who start the game won't finish it. He could start next week, he could play 60 minutes and Hazard play 30, but it isn't important to start a game, it's important to decide it. Vinicius did that today with his freshness and his quality."The winger, who has previously faced criticism for his erratic end product, described the draw as "a game with a lot of goals and a lot of space. We have to stay focused so as not to concede goals like that."

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