Carlo Ancelotti accepts blame for Real Madrid's loss to Atletico Madrid

Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti has taken responsibility for his side's 3-1 defeat to Atletico Madrid at Wanda Metropolitano on Sunday night.

Los Blancos entered the match off the back of six straight wins in all competitions at the start of the 2023-24 campaign, but they were undone by their rivals in the La Liga affair.

Alvaro Morata and Antoine Griezmann scored in the first 18 minutes to send Atletico two goals ahead, before Toni Kroos halved the deficit in the latter stages of the first period.

Morata came up with his second less than a minute into the restart, though, and there was no response from Real Madrid in the second 45.

Ancelotti controversially decided to remove Aurelien Tchouameni and Joselu from his starting side on Sunday, with Jude Bellingham playing in an advanced area alongside Rodrygo, but it was a difficult night for the England international.

"It's a good question (could he have done things differently?). Maybe I could have done it better. It's pretty clear. When the team doesn't do what it has to do, it's my responsibility," Ancelotti told reporters on Sunday night.

"Today (Sunday) we haven't done well, but it's not a formation problem. The formation is not going to change. It's a defeat that can be an opportunity to do things better.

"We are sad and angry, as always when we lose. But until now we had done it very well and we continue to do it well... it's my fault.

"We didn't start well. We have not defended well, we have been fragile in our area and we have not been forceful. When they have advanced 2-0 they have played the game they wanted to play, defending very well and looking for quick transitions. They have done it better than us.

"The formation has changed because we have started with the rhombus, with [Luka] Modric as a midfielder and two strikers, Bellingham and Rodrygo.

"Joselu hasn't played because he wanted to have more ball control with the presence of one more midfielder. Bellingham's position has not changed in the offensive aspect.

"It was not a problem of who played, but of defensive fragility that we did not have in the first games. In six games we had only conceded three goals and in 45 minutes we have conceded three. We have been fragile. It can be said without a problem. It hasn't been a good night.

"Atletico is one of the teams that defends the best, not only in Spain. They are very well organised and are strong in the duels. It's not easy to look for spaces. We have tried it from outside the area and we have lacked a bit of effectiveness. The problem has not been offensive, but defensive."

Real Madrid will be bidding to bounce back from the defeat when they welcome Las Palmas to Bernabeu in La Liga on Wednesday night.