The way Real Marid manager Carlo Ancelottis spoke after the 2-0 defeat to Liverpool is reminiscent of times here at home where we are moral winners despite losses.
Real Madrid, who are the reigning champions, suffered their third defeat in five group games in the Champions League thanks to goals from Alexis Mac Allister and Cody Gakpo.
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The Spanish giants had only three shots on goal in the 90 minutes, and one of them from Kylian Mbappe who managed to get a penalty saved by Caoimhin Kelleher.
It was a nightmare night for Mbappe and Real as a whole, with Los Blancos only sitting in the final play-off qualifying spot in 24th place after five games.
It has been a surprising start to the continental season for Ancelotti’s side, who still have Atalanta, Salzburg and Brest to play in the group stage of the Champions League. But what was even more shocking was the Italian manager’s assessment of his team’s performance at Anfield.
Speaking minutes after full-time, he said, “I liked it. We played well.
“This loss doesn’t change much. Even if we won, it would be hard to get into the top eight.”
While not yet mathematically impossible, the loss at Liverpool almost certainly looks set to send Real into the Champions League play-offs.
However, the new format means that three defeats in five games is not a nightmare – compared to previous seasons, Real might have tried to get out of the group with such a record.
Liverpool, meanwhile, remain the only team with a 100 per cent record and have amassed 15 points from their five games, conceding once on the road.
And Ancelotti’s counterpart Arne Slot was understandably pleased with how his team played when they defeated the opposition in a competitive match for the first time since 2009.
He told TNT Sports: “We knew how special it is to play against the club that has won the Champions League so many times, and the reigning champions. They were a pain for Liverpool many times too!
“I think it was not only the result, but also the way we played was nice to see.
“I felt like we were a little too impatient [at first]. Every time they threatened us, which didn’t happen much, it was because we were sloppy in the pass, or forced it a little too much. I said [at half-time] that I thought they could play with more intensity [in the second half] and played better with the ball.”
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