Three Key Takeaways from Real’s Shocking Defeat: A Forgettable Return

Let’s take a look at some key moments surrounding Real Madrid’s loss to Lille.

Unbeaten Streak Ends

For nine months, Real Madrid went through 36 matches without tasting defeat. Their last loss came in January, when they fell to Atletico Madrid in the Round of 16 of the Copa del Rey. However, last night, Carlo Ancelotti’s side once again experienced defeat.

Of course, no one would have predicted that Lille, a team that had only won one of their last six matches across all competitions, would be the club to end Real’s unbeaten run. Notably, this was also the first time Los Blancos were defeated in the Champions League since their 0-4 loss to Manchester City in the second leg of the semifinals in May 2023.

Overall, Ancelotti’s players appeared lifeless and disjointed against the Ligue 1 representatives. Mistakes began with Dani Carvajal, who is usually very reliable. Meanwhile, Jude Bellingham only showed frustration on the pitch without making much impact, and even Kylian Mbappe, returning early from a thigh injury, couldn’t lift Real’s performance after being subbed on.

Their next three Champions League fixtures are against last year’s runners-up Borussia Dortmund, AC Milan, and Liverpool – all tough opponents. Therefore, Real will need to quickly bounce back and improve their form if they want to avoid further defeats in the competition.

“Record Breaker” Fades

In December 2022, at the age of 16, Endrick officially signed with Real. However, it took another year and a half for the Brazilian striker to arrive at the Bernabeu once he turned 18. Last night, Endrick played his second Champions League match, and he made history by becoming the youngest player to ever start for Real in the competition (18 years and 73 days), surpassing the legendary Raul (18 years and 77 days).

As usual, Endrick showed admirable energy in his performance, but aside from an impressive burst of speed that ended in a shot directly at Lille’s goalkeeper in the 19th minute, the Brazilian talent didn’t leave much of an impression on the field before being substituted by Mbappe in the second half.

In general, Endrick has shown flashes of his quality with goals against Real Valladolid and Stuttgart, but Real’s fans will need to be patient with this young forward.

A Forgettable Return

After a long spell on the sidelines due to injury, Eduardo Camavinga finally returned and played his first match of the season. The French midfielder brought much-needed energy alongside Aurelien Tchouameni, and even had some bright moments in the first half.

However, during stoppage time, Camavinga became the villain as he conceded a handball in the box, allowing Edon Zhegrova to score the only goal of the match. From that point on, Camavinga’s confidence seemed to wane, and he didn’t make any further significant impact until he was subbed off in the 67th minute, aside from receiving a yellow card in the 59th minute.