Real Madrid News
Ancelotti talks Benzema, Vinicius, Asensio, Tchouameni, World Cup ahead of Real Madrid vs Cadiz
After a run of just one win in their last four matches, Real Madrid will be aiming to turn things around when they take on Cadiz at the Santiago Bernabeu on Thursday night.
Los Blancos are coming into the game on the back of a 3-2 defeat to Rayo Vallecano. On top of that, with Barcelona winning against Osasuna last night, the reigning champions are now five points behind their arch-rivals in the La Liga standings.
While they will go into the World Cup break trailing the Catalans, Real Madrid will hope to reduce the gap to two points by picking up a victory versus Cadiz tomorrow.
On the eve of the game, manager Carlo Ancelotti addressed the media during which he addressed the situation surrounding Karim Benzema and talked about Vinicius Jr being targeted by opposition players.
On the season so far: “This first part of the season has been very good. We won the UEFA Super Cup and qualified as first in the Champions League. Of course, we could do better in La Liga.”
“We are gonna play the last game of the year tomorrow. It’s a weird season. We want to end this year well. It’s been an unbelievable year.”
On Karim Benzema’s absence: “Benzema has not been able to help the team in these games. He tried his best to recover, but he couldn’t. It’s nothing major.”
On Vinicius Jr being targeted: “People say Vinicius is the one who provokes the rivals but the reality is he is the player who receives the most fouls. We have to protect our players. Fair-play is the most important part of football.”
“Provoking is not fair play. One enters the field to play football, not to provoke with words or with one’s legs. Vinicius also has to improve in this aspect. But he’s still young.”
On the recent form: “We are angry after our last games. The two losses have annoyed us. We will show who we are tomorrow. Our intensity has decreased because we have played many games and this is noticeable against teams like Rayo that do not play in European competitions.”
On whether Benzema is missing matches to remain fit for World Cup: “I have nothing to say. The first who’s annoyed by this situation is Benzema because he’s going to Qatar with very few minutes in his legs.”
“Benzema will go to Qatar with discomfort in his legs. He has not recovered 100%, so he is not in the squad lately. Whether he goes to Qatar or not is up to him and it is his own decision.”
On rotations: “It’s an important aspect, but removing Rodrygo or Valverde when they’re scoring goals seems a bit strange to me. You have to look at the dynamics of the players. Even so, I think I’ve rotated a lot.”
On Marco Asensio: “He has been our best player in the last games. He has helped us a lot. He has a very strong personality. He shows that on the pitch.”
On whether he will not use players departing for World Cup tomorrow: “No, not at all. My players are professionals and will play. My players have never thought about the World Cup, and neither told me not to play them. They have always trained very hard.”
On the nature of Benzema’s injuries: “Benzema got a serious injury against Celtic but the others weren’t serious problems. His World Cup has never been in danger.”
On Aurelien Tchouameni: “The injury slowed him down a bit, like all youngsters he has to improve his positioning. With Kroos he is one player and without him, he is another. Kroos’s presence helps him in this regard.”
On the FIFA World Cup: “This World Cup will be very exciting. There are no clear favourites and the players will not be tired as they would be in summer tournaments.”
Source: Real Madrid official Twitter
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.
