According to reports, Carlo Ancelotti has emphasized the need to focus on defensive work since the beginning of the season, but Real Madrid has failed to achieve balance in this area, and this weakness has come at a heavy cost. In three matches this season against Barcelona, Real Madrid has conceded 12 goals, an unacceptable number for top-tier teams. In the Copa del Rey final, three more goals were added to this statistic, highlighting the depth of the problem.

Of Barcelona’s three goals, only Pedri’s goal (1-0) came from a normal play where defensive lapses could be found, but it was not as disastrous as the 2-2 and 3-2 goals. Ferran Torres’ equalizer came from a counterattack in open space, an incomprehensible occurrence for a team that had control of the game.

Antonio Rüdiger, physically exhausted, was defeated by Lamine Yamal’s pass, and Thibaut Courtois misread Ferran’s movement. The third goal (3-2) was even worse; Brahim Díaz, under pressure from Jules Koundé, lost the ball, allowing Barcelona to score the winning goal.

With these three goals, Real Madrid’s total conceded this season reached 69 goals in 57 matches, a worrying statistic considering the remaining five matches in La Liga and the Club World Cup. In recent seasons, the highest number of goals conceded by Real Madrid was 72 in the 2016-17 and 2012-13 seasons.

With an average of 1.21 goals conceded per game, this season ranks as the third-worst defensive performance for Real Madrid since 2008. They also had poor statistics in the 2008-09 (1.34) and 2018-19 (1.24) seasons.

Thibaut Courtois, despite the team’s defensive pressure, has been one of Real Madrid’s best players this season, repeatedly preventing opponent goals with his reactions. However, Real Madrid’s defensive weakness is also evident in the number of clean sheets. Out of 57 matches this season, the team has kept a clean sheet in only 19 games, compared to 25 clean sheets and 50 goals conceded in 55 matches last season. This difference explains the team’s decline in performance compared to last season, when they won La Liga and the Champions League.

Real Madrid’s defensive problems are not only due to individual player performances but also stem from team disorganization and tactical mistakes. Ancelotti and his players must find an immediate solution to compensate for this weakness and return to their peak form, especially with upcoming competitions where every mistake could come at a heavy cost.