Is this the start of trouble for Carlo Ancelotti? While it’s perhaps too early to say, the Italian coach was certainly expecting a more convincing start to the season at Mallorca on the opening day of La Liga.
Despite fielding a formidable front four of Mbappé, Vinicius, Bellingham, and Rodrygo, Real Madrid could only manage a 1-1 draw against the Islanders.
During the match, cameras captured a heated half-time discussion between the young English midfielder and his teammates Kylian Mbappé, Vinicius, and Rodrygo. Bellingham was seen urging his teammates to “finish the chances” and warned that their failure to do so was leaving too much space for the opposition. “You three, finish the actions, because running around… it’s very difficult,” the Real Madrid number 5 told his partners. His comments were backed up by the former PSG striker who agreed that they needed to “finish with something.” Bellingham concluded by urging them to “try, try, try. Create space and… (gestures towards the goal).”
Earlier in the game, Spanish television cameras had also captured a discussion between Vinicius and Mbappé about their positioning. The Frenchman explained, “I think when we switch positions, they don’t expect us to be there. And we can make passes to the other side, quickly.”
It’s clear that the understanding between the four players is far from perfect and the overall balance of the Real Madrid team is not yet right. “Balance is found with players who think the same way when we need to win the ball back. We must all go for it together. Everyone might think it’s a problem for the attackers, but it can also be a problem for the defenders or midfielders.
They haven’t understood that it was a very important aspect. Mallorca played a great game and were better than us,” Ancelotti lamented after the match. Mbappé and his teammates will have the opportunity to rectify this next weekend at home against Valladolid.
Bellingham: “You three, we need to finish the attack, because the running back… is f*cking hard.”
Mbappé: “That’s what I’m saying. We have to finish with something.”
Bellingham: “Yeah, even… create a yard and [shoot].” pic.twitter.com/Js6o6IcNMy
— TC (@totalcristiano) August 18, 2024
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