Real Madrid were humiliated by Schalke on Tuesday night, losing 4-3 at the Santiago Bernabeu
The last time they let in four on a Champions League night at home was against Bayern Munich, 15 years ago.
It is not just one bad result though; Madrid have been off the pace since the turn of the year.
Poor performances have seen them usurped at the top of La Liga by Barcelona and the Clasico is steaming into sight at pace.
On March 22 Barcelona host Real Madrid at the Camp Nou, and these are five problems that Los Blancos boss Carlo Ancelotti needs to solve by then.
Real Madrid's Midfield Is Tired
This is something that Carlo Ancelotti will find hard to fix before the Clasico. It's something that he's caused over the past few months.
Toni Kroos looks knackered, and that's because he's been picked on virtually every single occasion possible by the Italian manager.
Understandable, really, considering how good he is; Kroos is the metronome of Real Madrid's midfield.
However, he's been worked to the bone, in a deeper role than he is most comfortable in, which has resulted in a drop in form.
Ancelotti has frequently denied that Madrid's players are tired, but the evidence on the pitch suggests otherwise.
Their final match ahead of the Clasico is at home against Levante, and this is the coach's last chance to give the German a break.
He may be reluctant to do so, as Madrid are now behind Barcelona in the title race, but it may pay off.
To some extent, Ancelotti has been hampered by the injuries to Luka Modric and James Rodriguez, but he should have used Asier Illarramendi, in particular, more often.
The Form of Iker Casillas
Iker Casillas is the club captain of Real Madrid but he clearly underperformed against Schalke 04.
Carlo Ancelotti will feel under pressure to replace him for Keylor Navas in the weeks ahead.
The Costa Rican goalkeeper is exceptional and many feel he hasn't been given a fair crack at the whip in Madrid.
However, the risk of dropping Casillas runs far deeper than simply being criticised if things don't turn out well.
Casillas is embedded in Real Madrid and as we saw when Jose Mourinho tried to displace him, it led to a messy and brutal war fought in the media.
Does Ancelotti have the stomach for such a battle? While his future remains uncertain, it may not be the best time to create such a kerfuffle.
Does Cristiano Ronaldo Belong on the Left?
For the past six years, Cristiano Ronaldo has been Real Madrid's star man, destroying teams from his starting berth on the left side of the attack.
The two goals he scored against Schalke 04, though, were taken like a traditional centre-forward.
Ronaldo's injury struggles earlier this year were well documented and perhaps Madrid might be advised to deploy him in the middle, which would also change the structure of the team.
While they won dozens of games this season in the 4-3-3, right now it seems like a different setup might be beneficial to help steady the ship.
However, with Sergio Busquets unlikely to make the Clasico, per Sport, and Javier Mascherano one booking away from a suspension, Carlo Ancelotti will be watching Barcelona's game against Eibar closely.
If Mascherano plays and gets that card, Madrid should be able to win the midfield battle and might want to stick with their attacking trident.
One for Carlo to ponder over the weekend.
Gareth Bale Has Lost the Plot
The last time Gareth Bale directly influenced a goal for Real Madrid was against Real Sociedad, in January.
It has been eight long games since the Welshman either scored himself or set up a team-mate.
He might argue that he made a significant contribution against Deportivo de la Coruna in mid-February, but one decent showing in well over a month is totally unacceptable.
And when you consider that he's the most expensive player in the world, at one of the biggest clubs in the world, it looks even less palatable for Carlo Ancelotti and the fans.
Inspiring the Real Madrid Players
Carlo Ancelotti's words after the game against Schalke were not very inspiring.
He said, per Sport: "We will be the first to admit that we have played very badly, and we deserved to be whistled. There is not a lot I can say about this game, we’ve played so badly that it is difficult to explain."
There's not a lot of motivation in those words.
And with his insistence on playing Gareth Bale, Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema, whatever form they are on, he is alienating Jese and Javier Hernandez.
If those two players don't believe they can start games regardless of their performances, they will be unmotivated.
Like drops of ink in a jug of milk, that attitude can spread quickly, and dangerously, into the team.
Iker Casillas was forced to keep Ronaldo on the pitch after the Schalke game, with the Madrid star attempting to make a quick exit after the humiliating defeat.
The chemistry between the team is extremely weak and harmony needs to be restored as quickly as possible.
Fostering team spirit is best done when everyone is fighting towards a common goal. Ancelotti needs to inspire.
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