Real Madrid played poorly in their 4-3 loss against Barcelona on Sunday afternoon, and in doing so, we saw a plethora of bad performers. Kylian Mbappe was not one of them, but the others were - Vinicius Jr included.
Real Madrid were awful, despite the scoreline telling you otherwise - and their defense was not all that great, either.
It comprised of a winger for a right-back, and a pivot for a central defender alongside Raul Asencio and Fran Garcia.
Real Madrid lost fair and square, but the game showed just how quickly Real Madrid and Ancelotti have ruined the form of an otherwise brilliant player.
Aurelien Tchouameni was having a splendid 2025, and it was clear from the moment Real Madrid announced three injuries that this guy is going to play at center-back for the remainder of the season.
As soon as Ancelotti put him there, alongside such a weak defensive line, it was clear that he was not going to have the best of games.
Tchouameni tried - he really did, but sometimes, he was left in no man's land. His defense, apart from Asencio, did not have his back, and it felt cruel to watch.
Real Madrid needed defenders, but the board did not sign anyone
It is the board's fault for not providing the coach and the team with a central defender when it was so clearly needed. It is also the board's fault for not signing a right-back sooner when Real Madrid really could have done better with one.
On the other hand, Ancelotti has had the option to trust two really talented academy graduates in Lorenzo Aguado and Jesus Fortea, and he has stuck with Lucas Vazquez all season long.
It is his fault for pairing Tchouameni up with Vazquez, who has not had a good game all year - basically forcing the Frenchman to cover for two players at once.
It is tough being Tchouameni, and after such a brilliant 2025, he has once again had a blow on his confidence. He is a player who relies on confidence and continuity, and to make things worse, he will also miss the match against Mallorca on Wednesday. Not that it matters anymore, anyway.