- Madrid conceded two goals in 20 minutes to lose
- Ancelotti believes motivation was low after Clasico win
- Insists attitude will change for UCL tie vs Chelsea
WHAT HAPPENED? Real Madrid ran out 4-0 winners in their Copa del Rey Clasico semi-final clash with Barcelona in midweek, before a dramatic 3-2 loss to Villarreal on Saturday evening. Ancelotti has claimed that the win over Barcelona meant his Real side failed to find motivation and subsequently they were below par against Villarreal.
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WHAT THEY SAID: Speaking after the game, Ancelotti said: "It’s hard to prepare for a match that comes in between two other matches that are much more important. I made a lot of rotations because the Barcelona game took a lot out of us physically and mentally.
"It was hard to be 100 percent motivated because the Barcelona game demanded a lot from us emotionally. That’s normal, even though this defeat hurts us. But, this defeat doesn’t change anything about our motivation for the Champions League. Wednesday’s match will be completely different. It’ll be a different story."
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Their win over Barcelona ended their rival's winning streak in the fixture and meant Madrid advanced to the Copa del Rey semi-finals. Los Blancos have an equally important game coming up as they host Chelsea on April 12 in the Champions League quarter-final.
IN TWO PHOTOS:
Next Match
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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR REAL MADRID? All eyes now turn to that Champions League tie as Madrid host Chelsea on April 12. A trip to Cadiz in sandwiched between the two legs and Madrid will be hoping they don't lose more ground on Barcelona in La Liga's title race.