Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti is demanding a serious turnaround from his crew as they gear up for his or her first residence recreation of the La Liga season in opposition to Valladolid on Sunday, which may even mark Kylian Mbappe’s debut on the Santiago Bernabeu.
Ancelotti was visibly annoyed after final weekend’s lackluster 1-1 draw at Mallorca, telling reporters, “We needed to do better and show more attitude.”
Mbappe and most of Real’s so-called “New Galacticos” delivered a dreary efficiency at Mallorca, with goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois making essential saves to salvage some extent.
“It was a game we could have lost because we didn’t have balance,” Ancelotti mentioned. “It wasn’t a good game. We are a very attacking team, and defensive balance is a fundamental part of the way we are built.”
Against Mallorca, and of their UEFA Super Cup 2-0 win in opposition to Atalanta final week, the Italian supervisor began Mbappe in a central position as a ahead, simply in entrance of a three-man line shaped by wingers Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo, with Jude Bellingham, and solely two pure midfielders in Fede Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni.
With the departure of German midfielder Toni Kroos, who retired after a exceptional decade with the Spanish giants, Ancelotti determined he was higher off sacrificing stability within the middle of the pitch to achieve extra firepower in assault.
However, in opposition to Mallorca and for a big a part of the Atalanta conflict, Mbappe was not the influence participant he was anticipated to be, and Real had been weak to counterattacks, suggesting they could must work more durable than anticipated to combine their blockbuster signing into the squad.
“We struggled to press and regain possession after losing the ball,” Ancelotti mentioned. “Defending is a collective commitment. The balance is found when players are focused on the same objective. It’s an issue of a team that did not grasp that this was a key aspect of the match.”
Under the shiny new roof that can protect a sold-out crowd from the relentless solar on a scorching summer time afternoon in Madrid, Real face newly promoted Valladolid, who’re fired up after kicking off their marketing campaign with a deserved win in opposition to Espanyol.
Hansi Flick’s Barcelona additionally started the season effectively, with a Robert Lewandowski double permitting them to return from behind to win 2-1 at Valencia, regardless of lacking a number of key gamers and that includes three 17-year-olds from the beginning of final Saturday’s recreation.
Coach Flick will nonetheless be unable to depend on new signing Dani Olmo, who has but to be registered with La Liga because of Barca’s breach of Financial Fair Play (FFP) guidelines, for Saturday’s match in opposition to final yr’s Copa del Rey champions, Athletic Bilbao.
Barca is racing in opposition to the clock to attempt to negotiate the sale of gamers akin to Vitor Roque, İlkay Gündoğan, or Clement Lenglet to allow them to enhance their steadiness sheet and be allowed to register the versatile attacking midfielder who stood out at Euro 2024, serving to Spain win the title.
In Madrid on Sunday, Atletico will host final yr’s shock bundle, Girona, after each side had been held to attracts in disappointing opening matches final weekend.
Manager Diego Simeone can have new signings Julian Alvarez and Conor Gallagher at his disposal.
Source: www.dailysabah.com