I'm sure Madrid won't go down too far. Madrid is Barcelona's rival for the La Liga trophy. Last season Madrid was too relaxed and their focus was on the Champions League. Until they didn't realize that Barcelona was already quite far ahead.
This will be a special note for Ancelotti and when they face a much more evenly matched club it will make it difficult for them to get points. The reason for focusing on the Champions League like last season is Ancelotti's inability to handle Real Madrid and it is completely irrelevant if that reason is given. This defeat will not make Real Madrid worse, but Ancelotti needs to be careful when facing a club that is much more balanced.
but this season Madrid will not make the same mistake. They may have lost to Atletico but that won't continue to be a downturn for Mdrid's squad. In the next match, they will get winning points.
In this match we will probably see the performance of the front line players who have no chance of scoring goals and in my opinion Real Madrid needs a center forward in such conditions. If Rodrygo and Jude Bellingham are unable to score goals then that is where a center striker is needed as a differentiator on the field. The aim is to make a difference in the match and opponents will pay special attention to the center forward making it easier for other players to create goal scoring opportunities.
I agree with your opinion that in this match the performance of the front line players is the key. Real Madrid really needs variety in its attacks, especially if players like Rodrygo and Jude Bellingham have difficulty scoring goals. Adding a center forward could be a smart strategy.
So, adding a center forward can be a good strategy in situations where the front line is having difficulty scoring goals, and this can be the difference in the match.
However, the question is who is the right striker to buy in the middle of this season?