UCL: Napoli boss Garcia blames players after losing 3-2 to Real Madrid

Napoli’s manager Rudi Garcia has expressed his disappointment after Napoli’s 3-2 loss to Real Madrid in Tuesday night’s Champions League.

Garcia pointed out issues with his men’s pressing tactics, particularly on Jude Bellingham’s goal.

He believed that a draw would have been a fair result, but Napoli couldn’t secure it. The Partenopei took the lead with Leo Ostigard’s goal, but Real Madrid turned the game around with goals from Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham.

Piotr Zielinski’s 54-minute controversial penalty made it 2-2, but Napoli conceded another goal when Federico Valverde’s shot hit the crossbar, bounced off Alex Meret, and went into the net.

The manager frowned at Napoli’s high-pressing approach, stating, “The problem I have is that after the equalizer for 1-1 we opened up too much.

“When you are in a difficult moment, you have to stay solid, not press high and create the spaces that Vinicius and Bellingham are just waiting for,” the manager added.

Regarding Bellingham’s goal, Garcia said Napoli’s defenders didn’t protect their defense adequately. He believed they should have kept midfielders and wingers closer to the backline instead of pressing too high.

Garcia further stressed the need for his players to read various moments in their games and adjust tactics accordingly.

However, despite a bitter loss, Garcia praised Napoli’s second-half performance and the response of his players. He also refrained from commenting on some controversial decisions made by the referee during the match.

Garcia further recognized the team’s fatigue, having played four games in nine days.