Despite reaching historic milestones, the moment is bittersweet for Carlo Ancelotti, who is facing criticism after two consecutive defeats for his team.
The Italian coach has a big challenge ahead of him, with Real Madrid showing vulnerabilities in both defence and attack. The defensive performance is of particular concern: the team has conceded an alarming nine goals in the last three games.
Ancelotti, however, recently reached a remarkable milestone, equalling Alex Ferguson as the manager with the most games in Champions League history (214). His career includes spells at clubs such as Parma (8 games), Juventus (10), AC Milan (77), Chelsea (18), PSG (10), Bayern Munich (12), Napoli (12) and Real Madrid (67).
In addition, Ancelotti is the all-time leader in wins in the competition, with 123 triumphs, and holds the record of five titles, two with AC Milan and three with Real Madrid, including the 2014, 2022 and 2024 triumphs.
In the Champions League, Real Madrid currently occupy 17th place, which, if maintained, would require them to go through the play-offs. In LaLiga, they are nine points behind Barcelona, with a game in hand due to the postponement of their match against Valencia.