"An easy problem to solve" - Carlo Ancelotti rates Real Madrid's pre-season out of 10 and pinpoints areas to improve

Real Madrid have completed their set of pre-season matches and will now look ahead to the first competitive game of the season.

Manager Carlo Ancelotti spoke after Los Blancos' final friendly match against Juventus, in which, Real Madrid finished on the wrong side of the result. The Serie A outfit beat their opponents 3-1. Speaking about where they could improve, Ancelotti said (via RealMadrid.com):

"Offensively, there are no problems, but defensively, we have to sort it out. It's an easy problem to solve. There are things we have to try in this period and it has been quite clear what we need to fix things."

The La Liga outfit conceded three goals each in the games against Juventus and Barcelona. Ancelotti acknowledged that his men shipped far too many in these ties.

The Italian tactician was also asked how much he would rate his side's pre-season performances. While claiming that the period was positive overall, he said (via Madrid Zone):

"I give our pre-season a 6/10."

Despite the losses to Spanish rivals Barcelona and Juventus, Real Madrid managed to win their first two ties. In their first clash, Los Blancos defeated AC Milan 3-2 while brushing aside Manchester United 2-0 in the following game.

Up next for the club is their opening La Liga tie against Athletic Bilbao on August 12.

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"We don't have all the freshness" - Carlo Ancelotti believes Real Madrid's traveling resulted in lack of pre-season goals

Carlo Ancelotti press conference (via Getty Images)

According to Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti, his team's lack of scoring goals could be down to the lack of freshness in players. In four games, Los Blancos managed to find the net on six occasions, with three of the six goals coming against AC Milan in their first game.

The club failed to score against Barcelona while managing two goals against Manchester United. Speaking after the La Liga outfit's 3-1 loss against Juventus, Carlo Ancelotti said (via RealMadrid.com):

"In pre-season, we might not be able to score because the team is tired, as we have traveled a lot. We don't have all the freshness that a striker needs to have when it comes to scoring."

Although the Italian tactician may have seen fewer goals than he expected, he admits that Los Blancos' problem is not in going up the pitch. Rather, the club needs to tighten up defensively before the beginning of the season.