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Suffering another nightmare at the Bernabeu on Tuesday night, Real Madrid slumped to a shock 3-1 drumming at the hands of AC Milan.
Although Los Blancos might have been seeking a much-needed Champions League boost here, Carlo Ancelotti’s side couldn’t have got off to a worse start on home soil as Malick Thiaw powered home following Cristian Pulisic’s corner after just 12 minutes.
While Vinicius Junior might have calmly converted from the penalty spot midway through the first-half as Madrid looked to mount another European comeback, the Spanish giants drastically failed to find any kind of stability.
Watching one-time Real Madrid star Alvaro Morata tap home from close range minutes before the half-time break, it was eventually Tijjani Reijnders who wrapped up a famous Champions League victory for Milan in the 73rd minute.
Signing off October with an infamous 4-0 drumming against bitter El Classico rivals Barcelona and suffering consecutive defeats on home soil for the first time in four years, Milan have a real struggle on their hands.
As for the Rossoneri, collecting what was an iconic Champions League scalp here, AC Milan have now won four of their previous five appearances across all competitions and have turned a real corner since returning from October’s international break.
On a night when Real Madrid suffered even more European frustration, we have taken a look at the key talking points from Tuesday’s showdown.
Madrid “have to be worried”
Making real history last season as they secured an iconic domestic and European double, Real Madrid made it abundantly clear that they had their sights firmly set on shattering more records this time around.
However, although Los Blancos might have welcomed French superstar Kylian Mbappe to the Spanish capital over the summer following an earth-shattering free transfer, Tuesday’s hosts find themselves at the heart of a public struggle.
Coming under a huge amount of scrutiny last month as they suffered that infamous 4-0 El Claciso defeat against Barcelona, Madrid have now suffered back-to-back defeats at the Bernabeu for the first time since way back in October 2020.
Opening up October with a 1-0 loss at the hands of French outfit Lille, the former AC Milan boss will certainly have some mounting pressure on his shoulders and stated after Wednesday’s latest European struggle that his squad “have to be worried”
Already sat nine points adrift in the La Liga title chase and winning just a trio of their previous seven appearances across all competitions, Madrid are desperately seeking a much-needed boost when they welcome Osasuna to town this weekend.
Fonseca gets the statement he was dreaming of
Enduring what was an immediate struggle after arriving in Milan over the summer, it was heavily reported prior to October’s international break that Paulo Fonseca was already fighting to keep hold of his job at the San Siro.
While Tuesday’s guests might have shown a host of public issues when opening up the new campaign, the former Lille boss has seen his squad come roaring back in a sensational fashion.
Making what was a famous Champions League statement here and now clinching back-to-back European victories, it appears that the mood in AC Milan’s camp is at a real high.
Picking up some perfect momentum last weekend as they opening November with a 1-0 win away at Monza, Fonseca’s side have now won four of their previous five appearances across all competitions and collecting a famous scalp at the Bernabeu.
Putting in what was certainly a season-best display on Tuesday night and claiming a first victory in the Spanish capital since 2009, Milan appear to have fully found their feet under Fonseca.
Los Blancos seeking defensive resolve
Only shipping 26 goals in their 38 La Liga appearances last season, it was no secret that Real Madrid had gained a fearsome reputation for their rugged defensive displays.
However, with both Dani Carvajal and David Alaba still dealing with respective long-term knee injuries, Los Blancos have drastically struggled to find any kind of defensive steel this time around.
Hit with that woeful 4-0 drumming against arch-rivals Barcelona last month and once again showing a string of issues at the back here, Ancelotti has a real problem on his hands.
Despite marking their return from October’s international break with a hard-fought 2-1 victory away at Celta Vigo, Tuesday’s hosts have remarkably registered just a single clean sheet from any of their previous 10 consecutive appearances across all competitions.
Likewise, shipping nine goals in their last three outings, Ancelotti’s side have also failed to record back-to-back clean sheets since returning from September’s international break.
Match Report
Real Madrid: Lunin, Vazquez, Militao, Rudiger, Mendy, Tchouameni, Valverde, Modric, Bellingham, Vinicius Junior, Mbappe
Subs: Garcia, Rodrigo, Ceballos, Diaz, Camavinga
AC Milan: Maignan, Royal, Thiaw, Tomori, Hernandez, Fofana, Reijnders, Musah, Pulisic, Leao, Morata
Subs: Calabria, Okafor, Loftus-Cheek, Pavlovic, Abraham
Goals: Real Madrid: Vinicius Junior (23’ P) – AC Milan: Thiaw (12’), Morata (39’), Reijnders (73’)
Yellow Cards: Real Madrid: Vinicius Junior, Militao, Vazquez, Camavinga – AC Milan: Fofana, Morata
Red Cards: N/A
Referee: Slavko Vincic