Ancelotti: Basel tie is an ‘opportunity’ for Real Madrid to show ‘good things’

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/sep/15/real-madrid-basel-champions-league-carlo-ancelotti

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Real Madrid begin the defence of the trophy that appears to have been forgotten only six games later. They waited 12 years to finally win their 10th European Cup. Now, four months on, as they prepare to face Basel at the Bernabéu, Carlo Ancelotti has described the match as an “opportunity” – not just to begin the pursuit of their 11th, but to “react” and show that there are “good things in this team”.

That he should have to say so is telling. Some are even daring to talk of a crisis while on the other side of Spanish football’s great divide the Barcelona-based media has begun gloating. “Crisis,” ran the gleeful headline on the front of el Mundo Deportivo. “The best Barça, the worst Madrid”, shouted Sport. It described Madrid as being in “free-fall”.

The league table means little after three games but it makes for unhappy reading. Madrid are 13th, already six points behind Barcelona. No one has conceded more goals. And they have just been beaten by their city neighbours Atlético, who also took the Spanish Super Cup from them: the dream of winning all six titles did not last beyond the third day of the new campaign.

Talk of crisis is as premature as it is absurd, of course, but on Saturday night supporters booed the Real goalkeeper and captain Iker Casillas. Pressure is building at boardroom level too, and that filters down to the man on the bench. It is exacerbated by the sensation that Madrid’s problems are of their own making. In the summer they signed James Rodríguez, Keylor Navas and Toni Kroos, but they sold Xabi Alonso and Ángel di María.

In the wake of Alonso’s departure, Madrid were defeated twice in a row, conceding six. Madrid have, in the short term at least, been weakened. Ancelotti insisted on Monday: “I would not swap my squad for any other.” He was right, just as he was right to say Madrid have not yet reached full fitness and that what matters is the end of the season not the start, but the problems are genuine and the atmosphere has become rarified.

No team have lost two of their first three games and gone on to win the league since 1974. No one has done so under three points for a win. There is still time but the advantage Barcelona have is significant.

Casillas continues to play but his form and his confidence are on the floor. Kroos is adapting to playing in Alonso’s position instead of with Alonso. And James Rodríguez’s natural position does not really exist in Madrid’s system, at least not yet. There is no natural defensive midfielder until Sami Khedira returns from injury or unless they trust in Asier Illarramendi, and none of the dynamism that Di María brought. Glowing reports from England and Germany, where Alonso has twice produced man of the match performances, twist the knife.

“I feel like a coach who has to fix things,” Ancelotti admitted. But then, he added he was a coach who fixed things last season too. He did so then and says he will do so now. “The problem is clear. It is not that complicated,” he said. “We need more consistency over 90 minutes. We have analysed everything together and we agree that we need to maintain consistency. I have a very, very good squad and the players feel the same way. I believe that we will be very competitive and we will try to win the competition again.”

The road to Berlin begins against Basel at the Bernabéu but it feels a long way away now. So, bizarrely, does Lisbon.