Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti has absolved star signing Kylian Mbappe of responsibility for the defensive lapses which have contributed to an indifferent start to the season.
Having won only one of their three league fixtures to date, the LaLiga champions head into Sunday’s home clash with Real Betis sitting fifth in the table, seven points behind leaders Barcelona who have played a game more.
Ancelotti has acknowledged the collective frailty which has seen his side only draw at Real Mallorca and Las Palmas, but has no problem with the way Mbappe is adapting to his new challenge in the Spanish capital.
He told a press conference: “If you think about defensive work, Mbappe is the last one we have to consider.
“He’s playing very well, he’s caused a threat. He hasn’t scored many goals, but he’s moving around very well. There’s no problem with adaptation.
“The focus is on defensive work and this should be collective, but obviously, a forward’s work in defence has to be less committed because that’s not his main role.”
Mbappe, a summer arrival from Paris St Germain, is yet to open his LaLiga goal account and his on-field relationship with Vinicius Junior has been a point of focus.
However, Ancelotti said: “I think they’re playing well together. The problem of scoring isn’t a small detail, because obviously it’s important for a forward.
“You can always play better, faster and show more movement, but the offensive problem isn’t specific to these games because we’re scoring in all of them and I’m sure we’ll improve. The problem isn’t there.
“With time, Mbappe and Vini Jr will combine better, but also Mbappe with the midfielders. We won’t have any issues offensively, we’ve never had any problems and even less so this season when we have the best players in the world.”
Madrid won the league by 10 points last season and their start has raised eyebrows, but Ancelotti is not remotely concerned and is happy to take the criticism which has come their way on the chin.
— Real Betis Balompié 🌴💚 (@RealBetis) August 31, 2024
He said: “That’s completely normal. We’re not worried at all. We’re going to have criticism until May at some points, it’s quite normal whatever happens.
“Being worried isn’t bad because it means you’re dealing with the problem at hand. When the problem is clear, it’s fairly easy to solve.”
Betis, who have opened their campaign with back-to-back draws with Girona and Alaves, added Tottenham’s Argentina international Giovani Lo Celso to Manuel Pellegrini’s squad on Friday.
Aston Villa boss Unai Emery is “happy” to see healthy competition between strikers Ollie Watkins and Jhon Duran.Duran has come off the bench twice this season to score goals in games against West Ham and Leicester and help Villa register wins on both occasions.Watkins has not scored in the opening three games of the campaign but had magnificent opportunities denied by David Raya and Ma...
Scotland manager Steve Clarke will look for answers over their disrupted preparations for Sunday’s Nations League clash in Portugal after arriving in Lisbon almost two hours late following a 110-mile road trip.Scotland trained at Lesser Hampden on Saturday morning before flying from Glasgow to Beja Airport, a former military airbase which hosts no commercial flights in between the Portuguese...
Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti insists that Kylian Mbappe is “settling in very well” at the club.The France captain completed a free transfer to the Spanish capital in June following the expiration of his contract at Paris St Germain.He got off the mark with his first Real goal on his competitive debut earlier in August after they beat Atalanta 2-0 in Warsaw to win the UEFA Super Cup...
Leicester boss Steve Cooper is “excited” at the prospect of getting his players back out for their second Premier League clash of the season.The Foxes were very much second best in the first half of their return to the top flight against Tottenham but Jamie Vardy’s 57th minute equaliser helped them earn a draw following a more encouraging second period.Cooper is now preparing to ...
Turkey Football Federation president Mehmet Buyukeksi has called Merih Demiral’s two-match ban “unlawful” and a “political decision”.Demiral is suspended for Turkey’s Euro 2024 quarter-final against Netherlands after being sanctioned over a wolf salute he made towards the crowd during the last-16 match with Austria in Leipzig on Tuesday.The salute is recognised ...
Luis Enrique says his main job is endeavouring to keep his Paris St Germain players calm ahead of their Champions League semi-final showdown with Borussia Dortmund.PSG trail 1-0 from the first leg in Germany having already demonstrated their spirit to come back from 4-2 down on aggregate in their quarter-final tie against Barcelona to ultimately win 6-4.“We can score two goals in a few minut...
Atalanta manager Gian Piero Gasperini feels his team must produce their A-game to overcome Marseille and reach the Europa League final.The Serie A club begin their two-legged semi-final against the French side at Stade Velodrome on the back of conquering Liverpool in the last round.“I expect nothing short of a strong outfit,” Gasperini told his club’s website ahead of Thursday&rs...
Daniele De Rossi admitted Roma “should fear everything” about Bayer Leverkusen ahead of the first leg of their Europa League semi-final.While a Jose Mourinho-led Roma edged out Leverkusen at the exact same stage of the competition 12 months ago, the German side are an entirely different proposition under Xabi Alonso this season.Leverkusen have already swept to the Bundesliga title, kno...
Jude Bellingham admitted joining Real Madrid last summer was a “no-brainer”.The England midfielder opted for the Spanish giants amid interest from a host of Europe’s top clubs after three highly-impressive seasons with Borussia Dortmund.The 20-year-old Birmingham academy product has hardly looked back since, netting 20 times in an outstanding debut campaign at the Bernabeu Stadiu...
Chelsea forward Erin Cuthbert still finds herself dreaming of a first Champions League trophy despite boss Emma Hayes’ firm reality-rooted approach to the competition.The Blues, who face Ajax at Amsterdam’s Johan Cruyff Arena on Tuesday night in the first of their two-leg last-eight encounter, remain on course to become just the second English side to complete a quadruple – with ...
- 1 Trent Alexander-Arnold drops hint on future
- 2 Philippe Clement says John Bennett reluctantly stepped down as Rangers chairman
- 3 Premier League star won a battle with his neighbours
- 4 Eva Murati dubbed 'undisputed Queen of Champions League'
- 5 Club chief reveals failed move for Man Utd midfielder
- 6 Liverpool give Marc Guehi transfer boost
- 7 Chelsea give Sonia Bompastor winning start in nervy clash with Aston Villa
- 8 Laura Woods wears dazzling engagement ring live on TNT Sports
- 9 Stunning party girl caught up in Newcastle ace Kieran Trippier’s marriage riddle
- 10 Gabriel header earns depleted Arsenal derby victory at Tottenham