Real Madrid have struggled to find the net in their last trio of fixtures, and Carlo Ancelotti faces a growing challenge to flip the script. The team is navigating a rough patch, one that ranks among the toughest moments of Ancelotti’s second tenure on the bench. With nine points separating them from Barcelona in La Liga, the championship race has tightened significantly. The recent sequence includes back-to-back draws and a Copa del Rey exit in the first leg of the semi-final, amplifying concerns about the club’s trajectory and the kind of urgency needed to reverse the trend.
At the heart of the issue is a persistent bottleneck in the final third. Real Madrid has failed to convert chances across two consecutive matches in all competitions, mirroring a similar drought that has not appeared since a long stretch earlier in the season. The lack of efficiency in the last meters has become a recurring theme, and it has begun to affect the overall balance of the team. This stagnation contrasts sharply with moments when spaces opened up and the side could exploit them, revealing the fragility of the current approach when opponents sit deep and compact.
Betis and Barcelona have both demonstrated how a disciplined, compact defense can frustrate Madrid. The opponents have reinforced a low-block setup that stifles the danger from the wings and prevents easy through passes. That strategy has produced a contrast with the атаке style Madrid faced at Anfield, where space allowed quick transitions and more direct attacking play. Ancelotti spoke candidly after the goalless draw at Villamarín, acknowledging that decisions in the final touch were not sharp enough and that the team needed greater precision in the final phase of attacking sequences.
He emphasized the issue as not just a moment of poor finishing, but a broader misalignment in the last actions that determine whether a play ends in a goal or a missed opportunity. The coach pointed to a pattern of fine margins and stressed that better decision-making in the box could have changed the outcome. The message from the captaincy area and the analysis in the press room centered on the same theme: opportunities are being created, but finishing them off has not followed with the necessary consistency.
Karim Benzema has been a focal point in this discussion, with a scoring drought spanning three matches across all competitions. It marks one of the longer quiet spells of his Real Madrid career, and it has coincided with a period of tactical experimentation and lineup shuffles. The French forward remains vital to the team’s identity, yet the lack of goals from him has intensified the pressure on the broader attacking unit to contribute more frequently and with greater precision when chances do arrive.
Beyond Benzema, the squad has noted a shift in the dynamic of support from the flanks. The moments when the wing players threaten the edge of the box have not consistently translated into high-quality shots or dangerous crosses, especially in matches characterized by tight marking and decisive blocks by the opposition. The absence of a reliable pace outlet from the wings has left the center of the attack more exposed and reliant on combinations that do not always produce a clear-cut finish, particularly when the central defense compresses the space in and around the area.
Rodrygo, who had been delivering high-energy performances earlier in the year, faced a setback due to an injury against Atlético, limiting his minutes in the most recent Clasico. Ancelotti attempted a tactical reconfiguration by shifting Rodrygo into a central midfield role rather than a wide position in an effort to relieve congestion and accelerate ball circulation. While he was the most dangerous creative presence on the night, he lacked reliable accomplices to sustain sustained pressure, and the team struggled to maintain vertical threat from the right flank when Valverde’s width did not materialize.
These experimental moves illustrate a manager who is reluctant to publicly question the squad’s preparation or cohesion, yet they also reveal a club that is increasingly relying on diverse patterns of attack in a bid to generate breakthroughs. The utilization of Marco Asensio in a more limited role signals a strategy to preserve energy while seeking spontaneous moments of invention. Mariano and Hazard remain out of the picture for different reasons, and Álvaro’s entering the field is often more a strategic stopgap than a long-term answer. The collective challenge is clear: unlock the blocks, reintroduce balance, and transform possession into decisive chances with greater regularity.