Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti has said he believes he has found the solution to his team’s problems and is hopeful results will follow.
Ancelotti’s side head into Saturday’s league game against fifth-place Osasuna on the back of two painful home defeats.
Ancelotti’s side lost 3-1 to AC Milan on Tuesday having previously fallen 4-0 to Barcelona in the league Clásico.
“It’s a difficult time for everyone,” Ancelotti said on Friday. “We have evaluated the situation with the players. We think we have found the solution. But we need to put that into practice. That is what we are hoping to do, to play differently.”
Ancelotti also demanded more from his players.
“It’s about sacrifice, focus and team work,” he said. “That’s nothing new.
“We have to be a tight unit and that takes sacrifice, focus to choose the right pass. If you play as a team, you defend as a team and we did that brilliantly last season.”
Madrid’s biggest problem has been their injury-hit defence. Without goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and defenders Dani Carvajal and David Alaba, they have conceded nine goals in three games.
“We’ve had time to think and find solutions,” he said. “We know we can do better.”
Madrid trail Liga leaders Barcelona by nine points but have a game in hand. They are 18th in the Champions League league table.
“We are not accustomed because things have gone perfectly well for a long time,” Ancelotti said of his team’s poor spell. “Now it’s a difficult time and we accept this moment but we can’t give up.
“I’m happy to be at this club because it’s the best club in the world to bounce back even stronger. This is a healthy, strong, motivated group. “We are in the best club in the world to try to come out of this difficult situation. We are all in the same boat, the players, the club, me. We are united more than ever.”
Ancelotti is confident they can turn things around.
“Despite the issues we are having, I believe this season can be successful,” he said.”We will fight for every title in every competition. That’s how I see it and that’s how it will be.”
While Madrid may need reinforcements, Ancelotti said the focus should not be on the transfer window.
“Now is the time not to talk about signings,” he said. “To think about signings now is not doing a good job of evaluating the problems that we have. We can’t sign now, we will talk about that in the coming months.”
Meanwhile, Ancelotti said he believes Kylian Mbappé will rediscover his best form.
The French captain was again left out of France’s squad after failing to shine for Madrid since joining the club in the summer.
While Mbappé has scored six goals and provided one assist in 10 games, he has not yet found chemistry on the pitch with Madrid star Vinícius Júnior.
“I haven’t spoken to him and I will not talk to him about that [being left out of the France squad],” Ancelotti said. “We have to accept it.
“Mbappe is well, motivated. He is going through a difficult time just as all of us. It’s an opportunity when things are not going well to bring that run to an end and face those challenges head on. We are not playing our full potential. I’m certain he will just as the others will.”