Real Madrid News
Ancelotti talks Pique, Benzema, Rodrygo, Hazard, winter transfers ahead of Rayo vs Real Madrid
Barcelona have not stopped the pressure on Real Madrid through this season, and have, as it stands, gone top of the league with a 2-0 win against Almeria. Carlo Ancelotti’s men will want to defend their title as they take on Rayo Vallecano tomorrow night.
Rayo have picked up where they left off last season, and sit ninth in the league this season with five wins out of 12 games. While they are 14 points clear off Madrid, they have lost just one game at home this season and could prove to be a nuisance for Los Blancos.
Ahead of the fixture, Ancelotti spoke to the media as part of his pre-game press conference, the quotes from which are brought to you by Madrid Universal.
On the game: “Rayo play very well at their stadium, it will be a complicated game.”
On Marco Asensio: “Asensio can play in two different positions and he does it well. He combines very well with Valverde.”
On Karim Benzema: “Benzema will not play tomorrow. His sensations are not good.”
“I think Benzema will play against Cadiz, though. Rudiger will not.”
“Are we not risking Benzema because of the World Cup? No, no. We look at the facts and the facts say Benzema cannot play.”
“We have managed to do well without Benzema but of course, we will need him after the World Cup.”
“Benzema’s lack of participation in some matches allows us to show players with a lot of quality, like Rodrygo, Valverde, Vinicius.”
On Gerard Pique: “He was one of the strongest defenders of his era in football. An intelligent and organised player. It is important that you decide to stop, like he did, and that the club does not have to decide for you. I wish him all the best for his future.”
On Rodrygo: “Rodrygo has a great future as a no. 9.”
“Rodrygo’s best position is as a centre-forward or second striker. I see him more as a striker than as a winger — that’s not his best position.”
On Eden Hazard: “The competition with the other players is big here. There are players who have played less minutes than they deserve.”
On the winter transfer window: “Our idea is not to make moves during the winter market.”
On Iker Bravo: “All the Castilla youngsters are progressing well. We will use them when it’s their time.”
On the UCL draw: “We are not worried. We could get PSG, Liverpool, Milan, or Inter. But it’s not a worry for us.”
Source: Real Madrid TV
The current edition of the Real Madrid squad is full of young talents, who have shown remarkable potential in recent years.
Arda Guler is among the young players looking to make a mark in European football in the years to come.
The young Turk joined Real Madrid earlier this summer, rejecting many other European giants in the process.
Toni Kroos mentoring Guler at Real Madrid
Guler has not enjoyed the best of starts to his life at Santiago Bernabeu, as he is spending a brief time on the sidelines due to an injury.
However, Guler has not stopped working on his characteristics, as he looks to kickstart his Real Madrid career on a positive note.
To that end, the former Fenerbahce starlet is receiving some key support from one of Real Madrid’s midfield pillars in the form of Toni Kroos.
This is according to MARCA, which suggests that the German international is mentoring Guler in his early days at Santiago Bernabeu.
Kroos: huge ‘sponsor’ of Guler
The report highlights how Toni Kroos is a huge admirer of Arda Guler. The German had even heaped praise on the youngster from Turkey when he joined the club earlier in the summer.
Guler, therefore, is closely training with Kroos, whose years of experience, composure, and knowledge of football, could help the youngster grow at Santiago Bernabeu.
This fits in well with Carlo Ancelotti’s vision at Real Madrid, as the Italian boss wants youngsters to have room to grow, especially with guidance from some of the older guards in the team.
It is one of the key reasons Real Madrid wanted to stick to Kroos and Luka Modric, despite bringing in Arda Guler and Jude Bellingham in the summer.
Guler, therefore, has the stage set for him to start his Real Madrid career on a strong note. After impressing in training, the next step for the youngster is to make a promising debut, which is just around the corner.
