Real Madrid wins, but Ancelotti sounds the alarm ahead of Champions League clash | OneFootball

Real Madrid secured an important 2-1 victory over Rayo Vallecano at the Santiago Bernabéu, earning three crucial points in the battle for the La Liga title. With a dominant first half and goals from Kylian Mbappé and Vinicius Junior, Carlo Ancelotti’s team seemed to be on track for a comfortable win. However, a stoppage-time goal before halftime changed the game’s dynamic and exposed some of the ongoing struggles that still haunt the Madrid squad.

The victory put Real Madrid at 57 points, still a point behind both Atlético de Madrid and Barcelona, who sit level at the head of the league. Barça is ahead nonetheless due to their head-to-head tiebreaker and also enjoys the benefit of having a game in hand. The second half of the game was a bitter moment even as Real Madrid claimed victory, even for Ancelotti, who acknowledged that the level of quality on the team went down.

Vinicius Jr. and Mbappé take control

If there was any question of Vinicius Junior's worth to Real Madrid, he put it to rest with another electrifying performance. Right from the beginning, the Brazilian showed that he was up for the task. Only two minutes into the game, he insisted on a penalty when he was tread upon by Lejeune inside the box, but neither the referee nor VAR obliged. Shortly afterwards, he had a close chance to score with a shot from the outside of the box, but Batalla made an incredible save, and the ball struck the post.

By the 30-minute mark, he was repaid. Vinicius picked out Mbappé with a through ball, who, in his calm manner, elbowed the defender out of the way and smashed it home to score. The Bernabéu went crazy, and Madrid took the game by the scruff of the neck. Four minutes later, Vinicius mesmerized once more. He broke down the left side, beat defenders with a series of rapid footwork, and set the ball perfectly into the corner. A spectacular strike.

The third aim nearly came a few minutes later when Mbappé had Mbappé was in one-on-one against Batalla, but the goalie got the best of him. 3-0 would have been the case but ended being 2-1 when Pedro Díaz, in stoppage time, chipped an unbelievable long-distance effort that went across the crossbar and inside the goal line.

The goal changed the tone of the match. Real Madrid went into halftime with the lead, but what seemed like a controlled game now carried new complications.

Madrid slows down and almost gets into trouble

Real Madrid came back for the second half without the same intensity. Despite controlling possession, Ancelotti’s team slowed down and allowed Rayo Vallecano to gain ground.

However, Madrid's greatest chance to extend the lead arrived. Modrić played a perfect pass to Mbappé in the 54th minute, but the Frenchman narrowly missed the target. Vinicius also had a great opportunity in the 75th minute, finishing a cross from Modrić, but the ball was deflected away.

In the final minutes, the Madrid squad opted to play it safe and not venture in pursuit of the second goal, taking the three points but with the feeling that they could have finished the game more decisively. The fans, who saw an exciting first half, were unhappy with the more defensive approach in the second.

Ancelotti admits slump in performance and threatens challenges

After the match, Carlo Ancelotti did not hide the fact that the team's performance declined in the second half. The coach admitted that Madrid could have obtained the result earlier and highlighted the pressure of a demanding season.

"The feeling is positive because the goal was to achieve the points. We had a really good first half, in which we could have been 3-0 ahead, but we went into halftime at 2-1. The second half became a bit more complicated," Ancelotti admitted.

The boss also touched on how difficult it is to play with intensity on a busy calendar.

"We should not forget that many teams from the Champions League didn't defeat yesterday or today. Inter played against Monza, Liverpool against Southampton, Leverkusen got defeated, Bayern got defeated. It's immensely complicated to set up for games like these, first of all, against a team who struggle and play fiercely, like Rayo," he said.

Beneath the fluctuation in the team, Real Madrid possessed key individual contributions that made a difference.

Vinicius Jr. was the deadliest player on the team again. He created chances, scored an amazing goal, and was the difference-maker. The Brazilian had incredible statistics this season, and Ancelotti did not shy away from giving him his rightful accolades.

"He has an enormous future ahead of him because he did this at such a young age, always working and improving every year. He's deserving of it, and other than that, he's an enormous person," the coach stated.

Mbappé, on the other hand, demonstrated why he is amongst the most determining players in the globe. He registered a critical goal and took part in the best attacking interventions of the side. Ancelotti highlighted the French striker's tactical awareness.

"That goal won the game. Vinicius Jr. and Mbappé both scored a wonder goal. Until the 70th minute, they were playing well and were capable of winning 3-1. When I realize that I must tighten up the defense, I pull back the forwards, I don't see the problem," he said.

Talking about the Madrid derby in the Champions League

Real Madrid then shifts attention to one of the season's biggest games: the Champions League home match versus Atlético de Madrid. The game could decide a lot of their title ambitions, and there are concerns about the physical condition of several of the key players.

Ancelotti commented on Modrić and other players who might become available on the market: "Modrić will be okay, he finished the match well. He was a bit tired, like all of them, because it was a hard match. I think everybody will recover well. I hope Rüdiger recovers from flu and that Courtois will return as well," the coach commented.