Ancelotti: Madrid ‘slump’ a team issue, not Vini’s

Carlo Ancelotti has said Real Madrid’s “slump” in the last week is down to the team not performing as a unit, rather than disappointing displays from individuals like under-fire Vinícius Júnior.

Vinícius — who was whistled by some fans in Madrid’s LaLiga defeat to Valencia last weekend — also faced criticism after failing to make an impact in Madrid’s 3-0 Champions League quarterfinal first-leg loss at Arsenal on Tuesday.

The Brazil international and Ballon d’Or runner-up has scored just three goals for Madrid in all competitions in the last two months, as the team have fallen behind Barcelona in the LaLiga title race, and now require a comeback against Arsenal in Wednesday’s second leg at the Santiago Bernabéu.

“It’s hard to say,” Ancelotti told a news conference on Saturday, when asked to explain Vinícius and Rodrygo’s lack of goals. “In the last week above all, there’s been a general slump, not just in the efficiency we’ve had in attack.

“We’ve conceded too many goals in these recent games, and that’s where we need to cut back. Defensive solidity is very important, especially in moments when the forwards aren’t as effective as they’ve always been.”

Kylian Mbappé is Madrid’s leading scorer this season with 22 goals in LaLiga, followed by Vinícius on 11, and Jude Bellingham with eight.

Ancelotti has a contract at Madrid until 2026, but the manner of the Arsenal defeat has seen his future beyond this summer questioned in the media.

“I shouldn’t have to talk about [my future] because my contract is quite clear,” Ancelotti said. “I have another year, and then we’ll talk about the future as always, at the end of the season. The club always supports and helps me, especially in difficult times.”

Ancelotti was asked if Madrid’s work rate against Arsenal had been the key factor in losing 3-0.

“The statistics are very clear. We ran less than our opponent,” he said. “That affected us, we could been done much more, but it’s not just about that.

“This has happened in previous years. Total distance isn’t the same as sprint distance. We’ve always run less, and despite that, we’ve won two Champions League titles. Against Arsenal, we did less in every aspect: total distance, sprint count … Everything. They worked harder.”

Madrid’s players ran a total of 101.2 kilometres in the game, compared to Arsenal’s 113.9 kilometres.

Ancelotti confirmed that midfielder Dani Ceballos, who had become an important member of the team before suffering a hamstring injury in February, was fit to face Alavés in LaLiga on Sunday.