Carlo Ancelotti used one stat to give Real Madrid fans hope after Barcelona rout

Four second-half goals for the away side led to a full-time scoreline in the latest edition of El Clasico that would make many fans believe Barcelona humiliated Real Madrid on their own home turf.

However, Real manager Carlo Ancelotti has been in the game far too long to be fazed by the result, and at the post-game press conference cited one particular instance as to why.

Goals from Robert Lewandowski (2), record-breaker Lamine Yamal and Raphinha put the Catalonians six points clear of their rivals at the top of the La Liga table, in a match that will undoubtedly now be placed in many Barca-centric list articles documenting the club's greatest Clasico victories.

But another result worthy of that status came when Barcelona again beat Real 4-0 two and a half years ago —with Ancelotti, who was in charge then as well, remembering how exactly that season ended.

"After the last 0-4 defeat to Barcelona, we went on to win La Liga and the Champions League," Ancelotti noted at the post-match press conference. "So don't rush to bury us.

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"Up until the score was 0-1, it was an even match," Ancelotti also said.

"We had four one-on-one situations with the Barcelona goalkeeper. There was intensity, but we lacked a bit of luck.

"After the score became 0-2, we had to take risks. When Modric came on, I asked him to play man-to-man from the back to try and create more opportunities up front.

"We lost, but we must not lose heart. We went 42 league matches unbeaten after losing to Atletico in a derby in 2023. The season is very long, and I am confident it will end just like last time.

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"Barcelona earned this victory with their efficiency, but we fought very well for 60 minutes. The first half of the match was positive; the players adhered to our philosophy.

"We lost, but there is a lot to learn from a defeat. Self-criticism is good, but it should not be dismissive. That would be unprofessional and wrong.

"I want to thank those who stayed until the 90th minute. This is a tough moment for us, hard because it’s El Clasico, but I am confident we will improve and overcome these difficulties."