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.
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