Real Madrid News
Ancelotti talks Benzema, Modric, Tchouameni, UCL ahead of Liverpool vs Real Madrid
Real Madrid have been drawn up against none other than Liverpool in the Champions League round of 16, which is, of course, a replay of last season’s final.
Madrid came off better of the two sides thanks to a goal from Vinicius Jr, and a stunning performance from Thibaut Courtois. However, coming into the game tomorrow, both teams are in a mixed place.
Los Blancos are sitting second in La Liga, eight points behind Barcelona, while Liverpool are eighth in the Premier League.
Ahead of this monumental clash, Carlo Ancelotti spoke to the media as part of his pre-game press conference, quotes from which have been relayed in this thread by Madrid Universal.
On the UCL: “We cannot wait to play in the Champions League again.”
On Karim Benzema: “Benzema is fine and will start tomorrow.”
On the UCL final last season: “The final in Paris was an equal game. Maybe they had more possession but tomorrow will be a different game.”
On Luka Modric: “Modric has already shown he deserves a contract renewal. He’s amazing.”
“Modric had a hard time in January. He was not feeling well but now he’s back. His physical condition is great. I’m convinced you will see the best Luka again.”
On Aurelien Tchouameni: “I’m thinking about the XI. I don’t know if it will be four midfielders or three and Rodrygo.”
On Liverpool’s marquee player: “I can’t tell you any particular player like Salah or van Dijk. We will be focused on the whole Liverpool team.”
Source: Real Madrid TV
Real Madrid News
Kylian Mbappe fires back at critics over his Real Madrid role: ‘A player who scores goals will never be the problem’
Kylian Mbappe has started the new season for Real Madrid in great form, scoring five goals in five games so far.
The Frenchman has continued from where he left off last season, with seemingly no drop in his scoring rate, and he could have had one more had he not missed his penalty against Real Betis.
The 27-year-old superstar has pushed back against criticism of his contribution to Real Madrid, insisting that his goalscoring should not be treated as a problem.
Mbappe’s logic is that the fundamental objective of football is to outscore the opposition and that, therefore, goalscoring should never be seen as an issue.
As quoted by Mundo Deportivo, Mbappe addressed the issue in an interview with L’Equipe, where he spoke openly about criticism of his defensive work and the constant scrutiny associated with him.
Mbappe responds to criticism
The Madrid forward believes people have become so accustomed to his attacking production that attention naturally shifts towards what he does not provide.
“Is it normal that people forget my goals and focus on the defensive work? No, but that is the life of someone who has been close to excellence for 10 years. I am not new to this. Everyone knows what I can do,” Mbappe said.
“It is human to look at what someone does not do. When someone has been doing something for 10 years, we stop looking at it because we know he can do it, so we look at what he is not doing. I do not take it personally.”
Mbappe’s standards are so high that scoring regularly can almost be taken for granted. However, one has to remember how remarkable that consistency is.
‘A player who scores goals will never be a problem’
Mbappe was even firmer when discussing suggestions that his goals may not necessarily translate into collective success.
“It makes no sense. If I do not score goals, they are going to ask me why I am not scoring,” he said.
“As a footballer, I have learned that there are millions of coaches in every match you play, and not all of those coaches are happy. Everyone has an opinion, but in football the objective is to score more goals than the opponent.”
Then came his clearest message.
“A player who scores goals will never be the problem of a team, because no team has ever won titles without scoring goals.”
Madrid need balance, not less of Mbappe
Mbappe’s argument is difficult to dismiss.
Even if they say “attack wins you games, defence wins you tournaments”, you cannot win games unless you score goals, and you cannot win tournaments unless you win games.
Madrid can demand more collective work from every player, especially under Jose Mourinho, without pretending elite goalscoring is somehow secondary.
The real challenge is finding the right balance.
Madrid need Mbappe to remain devastating in front of goal while fitting into the team’s pressing and defensive structure. Those demands are not one or the other.
If anything, Mourinho’s task is to build a system that protects Mbappe’s greatest strength while still making Madrid harder to play against.
Mbappe’s goals are not, and never will be, the problem. The onus is on the manager to bring those strengths out in a system that also preserves the defensive structure.
