The Real Madrid coach did not escape questions about Kylian Mbappé after his performance against Liverpool on Wednesday. While the Madrid players did not hide their frustration with the performance of their team, especially the French striker, the Italian coach surprised many in the press conference.
And it’s three! After Lille and AC Milan, Real Madrid was defeated by Liverpool in the regular season of the Champions League. In the absence of key players like Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo Goes, Eder Militao, and Dani Carvajal, Carlo Ancelotti’s team did not have a standout Kylian Mbappé to challenge Arnold Slot’s team. After a difficult first half where the English side created several scoring chances, the Madrid team collapsed in the second half.
Carlo Ancelotti’s controversial statement
Unable to create danger for the Reds’ defence, the Madrid forwards, notably Kylian Mbappé, made life harder for their defenders. Caught twice by Alexis Mac Alister and Cody Gakpo, Real Madrid failed to score, even from the penalty spot (missed by KM9). After the match, Carlo Ancelotti appeared before the press to share his thoughts. And, as expected, the 65-year-old coach delivered a rather strange analysis.
“I believe the team played well, we were competitive, we fought. Right now, it’s the hardest stadium to play in, they have a great dynamic. We’re disappointed with the defeat. It was already difficult in the standings. We’ll do everything to qualify,” the Italian coach said first to Canal+’s microphone. As if that wasn’t enough, Carlo Ancelotti also stated that his team played as he had planned.
“I liked the team, we played well against the toughest rival in Europe. The plan was good. We played as we wanted to play. We played well in the first half. We defended well as a team. The transitions were good. But we made the wrong decisions on the final pass. If we could have equalised from the penalty… We played well. We’ll improve. The goal now is to be among the top 24 and compete as always.”
Ancelotti defends Mbappé
If this rather odd statement raises eyebrows in Spain, Carlo Ancelotti wasn’t done yet. Asked about KM9’s nightmare evening, the Madrid coach once again made a notable comment. “Kylian Mbappé is an extraordinary player, we need to be patient. He’s doing well and adapting well. He might be lacking a little confidence,” he said, before refusing to criticise the French striker who missed the penalty in the 60th minute.
“We won’t destroy a player just because of one missed penalty. It can happen. I’m sure everyone has confidence in him,” Ancelotti added. It’s easy to understand the Madrid approach, refusing to blame the French striker who is currently in a monumental slump. However, it’s time to start questioning the real capabilities of the 25-year-old forward, who is starting to raise significant doubts about his ability to succeed at Real Madrid.
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