- Real Madrid were beaten 2-0 by Liverpool in the Champions League on Wednesday
- The Spanish side are enduring a difficult season both domestically and in Europe
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Carlo Ancelotti is reportedly set for crisis talks with Real Madrid president Florentino Perez following the club’s difficult run of form.
Ancelotti, who is in his second spell with the Spanish giants, has won 14 trophies across 310 games with the club, including three Champions League titles.
Real won the competition in 2023-24, but Wednesday’s 2-0 defeat by Liverpool saw their hopes of defending the crown thrown into doubt.
Los Blancos were outclassed at Anfield and now sit 24th in the league phase with two wins and three defeats from five games, meaning the club may fail to qualify for the knockout stages.
Real are also four points off the pace in LaLiga, where they have scored 14 goals fewer than arch-rivals Barcelona despite possessing a mouthwatering range of attacking talent that includes Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Jnr and Kylian Mbappe.
This has led to Ancelotti coming under pressure in his role, with the legendary Italian coach facing criticism for Real’s struggles this season.
And, according to Marca, Ancelotti is set to hold face-to-face talks with Perez before Sunday’s LaLiga clash against Getafe at the Bernabeu.
The report claims the pair regularly meet for discussions when Real endure a difficult run, but given the club’s worrying performances in recent times, these talks have taken on an increased importance.
Ancelotti and Perez are set to discuss why they believe the team are struggling, while the meeting will also hint at whether the Italian still has the full backing of the club.
The report goes onto claim Real’s hierarchy feel as if Ancelotti’s side are in their toughest period of the past five years and that Mbappe’s penalty miss against Liverpool summed up their struggles.
However, there is an admission that Ancelotti is up against it with so many injuries and a lack of depth in key positions, while there is a feeling that more should have been done in the summer.
The likes of Vinicius Jnr, Rodrygo, David Alaba, Eder Militao, Dani Carvajal and Aurelien Tchouameni are all currently on the sidelines, while others such as Bellingham and Mbappe have struggled for form.
Publicly the club have pointed to the congested schedule and lack of rest as a reason for suffering so many injuries, but privately they are investigating why the squad is struggling physically, with Real’s fitness coach Antonio Pintus coming under fire.
However, Ancelotti continues to back his players and the report claims the 65-year-old is up for the challenge and keen to turn the situation around.
He has not been helped by Mbappe’s disappointing start to his time at the club, something that has been a major talking point.
The French star has netted nine goals in 18 games, but just one of these have come in the Champions League and the beleaguered forward is yet to hit the heights that many expected him to in the Spanish capital.
However, Ancelotti backed Mbappe after the defeat by the Reds and claimed he knew exactly what was needed to get him back to his best.
‘It has happened many times that forwards have a hard time scoring,’ he said. ‘There is a medicine which is to be patient. It is a difficult moment for him, especially after missing the penalty. Everyone has to support him.’
He added: ‘He may be a bit lacking in confidence. When things don’t go your way, the idea you have to have is to play simple.
‘It’s a bit like this moment, but you can’t judge him for missing a penalty. All players miss penalties. He has to keep working well. We have to be patient because he’s an extraordinary player.’
After Sunday’s clash with Getafe, Real face tricky away games at Athletic Bilbao and Girona next week as they look to get back to their best.
