Real Madrid News
Ancelotti talks Bellingham, Brahim, Rodrygo, Valverde after Real Madrid 3-2 AC Milan
Real Madrid went two goals down quickly in the first half of their first pre-season friendly on Sunday night. Playing against AC Milan, the Merengues faced the heat but roared back to life in the second period.
A brace from Federico Valverde followed by a strong strike from Vinicius Jr helped Los Blancos pull off a comeback and start their pre-season on the right foot.
An elated Carlo Ancelotti faced the press after the team’s win in the United States and spoke about a plethora of topics including the system and Jude Bellingham. Here are the snippets from his press conference.
The manager first spoke about the debutant on the night, Jude Bellingham, and had only words of praise for the midfielder. However, Ancelotti remained critical about the specific areas where the team needed to work harder.
“I was really impressed with Bellingham. We have things we have to alter, like the way we played out from the back. We tried to play more through the middle than out wide in order to make the most of space between the lines.”
He further elaborated on the new signing’s incredible ability in the middle of the park, urging the team to adapt to his profile at the earliest. Speaking on Bellingham’s importance in the system, he said:
“Bellingham played very well and the team has to get used to his quality, which is unbelievable. His arrival into the box is hugely important for the team. I like the system but we saw a few mistakes. We didn’t play the ball out as we should have but I was pleased with the game overall.”
The topic of the English prodigy did not end there, as the coach was asked to elaborate on what made the former Borussia Dortmund star such a unique player. Commenting on the same, Ancelotti stated,
“He’s a fantastic player, very important for us because he’s a complete midfielder and he brings real pace and intensity to the game.”
“He moves extremely well without the ball and he’s different from the other midfielders we have. He makes the most of the free space and adds another dimension to this squad, which is fantastic.”
There was another young starlet who made his first appearance in a while for the club – Brahim Diaz. The Italian tactician counts on the youngster for the upcoming campaign after his two-year stint at AC Milan and had promising words about his performance.
“He came back strong. After two seasons with Milan, he has the ability to play for Real Madrid. He has quality in that position, he plays nicely between the lines and he’s another option for us. I hope we can enjoy his football all season.”
Ancelotti then elaborate on the areas he felt the squad had to improve on in the coming weeks and highlighted the cohesive pressing to be a primary front.
“We have to try and press higher up. With the diamond in the centre of the park, we press more through the middle. It’s not the greatest system from a defensive point of view but I have to adapt to the players and find a balance between defence and attack.”
Finally, the Italian gaffer made a massive revelation by stating that he would count on Rodrygo Goes as his primary striker if the team was to play in a 4-3-3 formation and outlined the other considerations taken into account.
“If we’re going to play 4-3-3, my central striker is Rodrygo, who did it brilliantly last season. On the left, we’ve got Arda Güler and Valverde. We could also play with a number 10 and a central striker, like Bellingham and Rodrygo.”
Source: Real Madrid website
Real Madrid News
Jose Mourinho wants more attacking options at Real Madrid despite reaching 500-goal milestone
Jose Mourinho wants Real Madrid to become even more dangerous in attack, despite reaching a significant milestone during their 4-3 victory over AS Roma.
According to MARCA, it has come to light that Antonio Rudiger’s goal against Roma helped Mourinho’s Real Madrid reach 500 goals under his management.
However, the achievement has not changed the Portuguese coach’s desire to add more variety to his team’s attacking play.
In fact, Mourinho wants a side capable of controlling possession, launching rapid counter-attacks and creating danger from set pieces, all without losing the defensive discipline that defines his approach.
Mourinho targets attacking variety at Real Madrid
Real Madrid already have considerable firepower at their disposal, with Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr., Yan Diomande, Arda Guler, Carlos Espi and Endrick, giving Mourinho several attacking options.
On top of that, the injured Rodrygo would provide another high-quality alternative once available.
Hence, the challenge is not only to score more goals, but to make Real Madrid less predictable.
Mourinho wants his forwards to exploit their pace in transition while ensuring the team can also break down opponents through patient build-up play.
Set pieces are another important part of his plans, as combining those threats with defensive organisation would give the team more ways to control matches and punish different types of opposition.
Mourinho reaches 500 goals for Real Madrid
Rudiger’s strike against Roma carried added significance because it took Mourinho to 500 goals in 188 matches as Real Madrid manager.
That works out at an average of 2.66 goals per game, the best return among club managers who have overseen at least 50 matches.
La Liga accounts for the largest share, with Real Madrid scoring 345 goals in 122 matches.
They have added 92 goals in 38 Champions League games, 55 in 24 Copa del Rey matches and eight in four Spanish Super Cup fixtures.
Their biggest victory during this spell came in the 2010-11 Copa del Rey, when Madrid beat Levante 8-0.
This season, though, the team are averaging 2.5 goals per match.
Mourinho wants more from Real Madrid’s attack
The numbers underline Real Madrid’s scoring power, but Mourinho is looking beyond the milestone.
His ambition is to build a more versatile attack that can adapt to different opponents rather than rely solely on individual brilliance or quick transitions.
With Mbappe and Vinicius offering pace and penetration, and several other options providing different qualities, Madrid have the personnel to develop that flexibility.
Hence, the next step is making those strengths work together consistently.
