Real Madrid News
Ancelotti hails Real Madrid attacker after Sevilla win: “He has significant qualities”
Real Madrid secured a hard-fought 2-1 win over Sevilla yesterday, in what was the club’s final away game of the season.
Rodrygo was the star performer of the game, racking up two goals and being handed the Man of the Match title. Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti heaped praise on the Brazilian after the game, stating, “Rodrygo did well in the centre-forward role and he can also play there. He has different attributes.”
“If you can dribble through the middle you have a better chance of scoring than if you dribble out wide. Because of his quality, it’s easier for him to find opportunities in this area. He doesn’t have the physicality for aerial clashes, but he has significant qualities,” he added.
Rodrygo, though, was a bit annoyed with Ancelotti over his substitution as he ‘wanted to score another goal’. In response, Ancelotti said, “Rodrygo wanted to stay on the pitch to go for a hat trick, but I told him that we had different objectives. He wanted to score, but I didn’t want to concede a goal. We finished with four centre-backs and managed the game well.”
Ancelotti went on to laud the atmosphere at the Sanchez Pizjuan, especially as there were no insults hurled at any of the Real Madrid players. “The atmosphere in the stadium was great despite some whistling towards Ceballos. I didn’t hear any insults and so we’re on the right track. The fans should be congratulated,” he said.
“People have started to understand what to do in the stadium and what not to do. We have to continue in this vein,” he added.
The Real Madrid manager also talked about Alvaro Rodriguez, pointing out how the youngster has room to improve.
“He’s a really young player and he’s got talent. He’s had a slump in the last period. When he’s played with Castilla he hasn’t always been at his best. Today we needed him and we’ll bear him in mind for the future. He’s young and has room for improvement,” he said.
Ancelotti talked about the future of Marco Asensio as well, with the playmaker reportedly set to leave Santiago Bernabeu at the end of the season.
“On the subject of Asensio, I don’t know what the situation is, just as I don’t know about Nacho. Before the last game, everything will be cleared up. On a personal level, I’m sad to see them go because they are very important. We’ll prepare for next season depending on the decisions they make,” he said.
The Italian manager also offered an update on the availability of Vinicius, adding, “As far as Vinicius is concerned, he has two days to rest and we’ll see if he can play the last game.”
Finally, Ancelotti confirmed he will be supporting Roma in the UEFA Europa League final. He also revealed how he had a conflict of interest with Sevilla manager Jose Luis Mendilibar.
“I wished Mendilibar all the best for the Europa League final. I’ve had a conflict of interests because I was captain of Roma in the 70s. On Monday we’ll be celebrating the league forty years later. I’m a bit of a Roma fan, but I want the best team to win. Mourinho is truly a great friend of mine and my heart has a closer connection with Roma than it does with Sevilla,” he said.
With the international break done and dusted, Real Madrid will be back in action this weekend in La Liga, where they will be looking to catch up to league leaders FC Barcelona.
Coming up for Jose Mourinho & co., who lost their last game before the international break, will be a home game against Villarreal on Saturday.
And, leading up to the game, the Spanish capital club have received welcome news on the injury front.
Mbappe back in group training
Indeed, as per MARCA, Kylian Mbappe will be available for Real Madrid’s match against Villarreal at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday.
Having been training individually so far this week, the France captain rejoined group training under Mourinho today, taking a concrete step forward towards making himself available for the game.
The forward looked relaxed and ready to work, putting his boots back on and joining the group as Real Madrid prepare for a demanding run of fixtures throughout October.
And, unless there is any unforeseen setback, everything suggests that Mbappe will be ready to start against the Yellow Submarine come Saturday.
Under scrutiny
The past few weeks have been nothing short of eventful for Mbappe, with his every action and movement under heavy scrutiny.
Playing for France, in Zinedine Zidane’s managerial debut, the 27-year-old superstar scored a goal before asking for a substitution due to a knee injury.
Having flown back to Madrid, he underwent tests, which confirmed the injury, although it was not as serious as was initially feared.
The forward then took week-long holiday with his partner that sparked some debate among supporters and attracted criticism from multiple quarters.
Mbappe returned to Madrid on Monday and participated in individual sessions at Valdebebas over the past couple of days. Now he has resumed normal training with his teammates.
There had been doubts over whether Mbappe would be able to face Villarreal after he picked up the injury on 25 September.
However, the recovery plan followed by the forward appears to have worked, and he is now expected to be in a fully fit condition for Saturday’s match.
