Real Madrid News
Ancelotti unhappy with one aspect of Real Madrid’s displays despite perfect start to season
Real Madrid have enjoyed a stunning start to the 2022/23 campaign. The reigning La Liga champions are the only team to have won all four of their league games this term and are one of two clubs, along with Arsenal, to maintain a 100% record in the top-five European leagues.
Take in their UEFA Super Cup triumph over Eintracht Frankfurt at the start of the season and Real Madrid have won five in five across all competitions.
New signing Aurelien Tchouameni has been putting in some stellar displays, Vinicius Junior has carried on from where he left off last season and star striker Karim Benzema has been among the goals – there are a lot of positives to take for Los Blancos.
However, as reported by Bernabeu Digital, Carlo Ancelotti has been left unimpressed by one aspect of his Real Madrid side’s performances this season and wants them to address it at the earliest possible.
The Italian tactician is reportedly unhappy with how Los Merengues have fared defensively this season. In four matches in La Liga, Real Madrid have failed to secure a single clean sheet, conceding one goal each in all of their matches thus far.
Thibaut Courtois has been in good form, but there have been some defensive lapses from the team, like the one new signing Antonio Rudiger made on his La Liga debut against UD Almeria on the opening day of the season. And Ancelotti wants to resolve this at the earliest.
Los Blancos boasted one of the best defensive records in Europe last season and their failure to secure a single shut-out so far, is bound to be a concern, especially when considering that their arch-rivals Barcelona have kept three clean sheets in four games.
Real Madrid will face Celtic in the UEFA Champions League at Parkhead on Tuesday night. Kyogo Furuhashi has been in stunning form for the Scottish champions but is a doubt for the game, which might come as a respite for the Merengues’ defence.
Real Madrid are looking towards a heavy splurge in the coming summer transfer window. After all, they do not even have another option given the sheer number of player departures already finalized.
Los Blancos have lost the services of Karim Benzema, Marco Asensio, Mariano Diaz, and Eden Hazard over the past week. While three of the four players predominantly featured on the bench, their presence in the squad gave Carlo Ancelotti’s side much-needed depth and a cushion of sorts.
The forward unit is, thus, the most prioritized department ahead of the transfer window. However, pieces are beginning to fall apart on other fronts and could potentially put the club in a difficult situation.
According to reports from Gianluca Di Marzio, Juventus are eyeing Lucas Vazquez and hope to sign him in the coming month. Contacts between the two parties have begun and the transfer fee discussed appears to be around the €6 million to €8 million ballpark given that he has just one year left on his contract.
The player, for his part, is willing to sign for the Italian giants given his relative lack of minutes at the Santiago Bernabeu. At 31 years of age, he understandably does not want to play a second-fiddle role.
Vasquez played part in 23 of Real Madrid’s 38 La Liga games last season, starting only on 12 occasions. Even in his few appearances, he averaged a mere 50 minutes per game.
The veteran completed the season with four goals and an assist to his name. Further, he averaged five defensive actions and a key pass in every game and feels hard done by his limited role.
Vazquez’s departure would place the club in a tricky situation as it would leave Real Madrid with only Dani Carvajal as a natural right-back option. Nacho Fernandez could, in theory, serve as the backup but a new signing for the position cannot be ruled out.
