Barcelona rout Real Madrid: Ancelotti disappointed in defensive display, Flick acknowledges surprising win
After a thrilling Spanish Super Cup final between Real Madrid and Barcelona, the two head coaches, Carlo Ancelotti and Hansi Flick, expressed contrasting emotions.
Barcelona's 5-goal onslaught against Real Madrid left the Spanish giants reeling.
Ancelotti's Disappointment
The 2-5 defeat was a bitter pill for Real Madrid to swallow. Despite Kylian Mbappe's early goal, Los Blancos crumbled under Barcelona's relentless attack, their defense committing a series of costly errors.
A visibly frustrated Ancelotti admitted in his post-match press conference, "We have to face the fact that our overall defensive performance was poor. Our high-pressing tactics left us exposed to counter-attacks. Real Madrid simply lacked the necessary grit today."
The Italian tactician further elaborated, "We were consistently outmuscled in one-on-one duels. This is a huge disappointment for the entire team. But that's football; we have to take this loss on the chin. I understand our fans and players are disheartened, but Real Madrid must move forward."
Ancelotti refrained from singling out individual players, stating, "I'm referring to the team's performance as a whole. We should have defended much better. We also failed to make a significant impact after Szczesny's red card. I'm disappointed with everything that happened today."
The only silver lining for Ancelotti was Mbappe's performance. "Mbappe had a fantastic game. He scored a brilliant goal. But let's forget about the rest of the match. The team will move on."
Flick's Euphoria
On the other side of the spectrum, Barcelona's coach, Hansi Flick, was ecstatic. "I'm incredibly proud of the team's performance. Today, Barcelona achieved an unbelievable victory."
Flick acknowledged that there's always room for improvement, saying, "We had some rough patches this season. But my focus is on the upcoming matches."
He continued, "Today is a great day. Barcelona has defeated one of the world's best teams twice this season. It's simply incredible. We're delighted to have won the Spanish Super Cup."
Flick also praised Inaki Pena, who replaced the red-carded Szczesny, saying, "After Szczesny's dismissal, things got tough. But Inaki delivered a fantastic performance. I'm proud of how the team defended with a man down."
