Real Madrid News
Carlo Ancelotti ‘extremely’ worried about 31-year-old forward’s poor form
Eden Hazard’s performance against fourth-tier club Cacereno has put Carlo Ancelotti under immense pressure.
The Italian manager kept his word and gave the Belgian a chance but as it turns out, the attacker failed to live up to the expectations and lasted a mere 68 minutes. And it has left the manager ‘extremely’ worried reports AS.
The 31-year-old recorded zero attempted dribbles, did not have a go at goal, lost the ball five times and managed just 24 touches, the lowest of any Real Madrid forward.
These are the statistics that are certain to worry any manager and Ancelotti is no different. The manager thought he could count on him during the packed schedule this month, but the player has only disappointed the main man.
Against Cacereno, the 31-year-old had most of his touches on the left side of the field and almost every single touch was outside the box. Hazard’s substitution saw Rodrygo moving to left and it only took the Brazilian a minute to score the winner for his team.
Interestingly enough, speaking after the game, Ancelotti did not say a lot against Hazard, but minced a lot about the state of the pitch.
“You can’t play football,” Ancelotti said. “For me, it’s not football, it’s another sport. It’s nice because small teams can fight and compete with bigger teams.
“It’s good for the fans, but the fans also want to see beautiful matches.
About Hazard, he noted, “I liked [Hazard]. It’s difficult to evaluate players individually, it was impossible to play. Smaller players like Hazard or Rodrygo suffer more, but he delivered.”
It must be noted that Hazard’s ongoing contract with Real Madrid runs until 2024, but he is more likely to leave the team before that. In fact, it is highly anticipated that he will be sold in summer itself.
Given the performance he delivered against the fourth-tier side of Spanish football, one can suspect that it is going to be the final roll of the dice.
Real Madrid News
Ancelotti talks Kroos, Modric, Bellingham, Vinicius ahead of Atletico vs Real Madrid
After escaping with a narrow 1-0 win against Union Berlin in the UEFA Champions League, Real Madrid face a tough task this weekend as they travel to the other side of the Spanish capital to face their old pals Atletico Madrid.
Carlo Ancelotti’s men have put in several solid offensive performances through the season so far, but have found it difficult to finish chances, often relying on Jude Bellingham to rescue the game in the last moments.
Their task will be much tougher against an Atletico side that is winless in two games and looking to get back up on the curb.
On them, Ancelotti commented, “Tomorrow’s game is an important one. Atletico Madrid area a strong rival. We can’t wait to play.”
Injury updates: Vinicius, Guler, Bellingham
Vinicius Jr has missed the last three games due to injury, but will be evaluated today to decide his participation tomorrow.
“He will be in the squad for tomorrow’s game,” Ancelotti updated the press. “We will decide tomorrow if he starts or not.”
He also said, “Vinicius has 100% recovered. Zero risks. He would not be in the squad for the game tomorrow, otherwise. We will see tomorrow.”
“He has not played for weeks, so he obviously lacks rhythm.”
As far as Arda Guler is concerned, the Turkish midfielder is yet to make his debut for the club, but is expected to join team training as early as Monday.
“Arda will start training with the team on Monday.”
Jude Bellingham left Madrid training early yesterday, which sounded some alarm bells at the club. However, Ancelotti confirmed that he will be playing tomorrow, and that there was no reason to panic.
“Jude Bellingham will play tomorrow.”
“I would not cry if he did not play. We have other players [laughs],” he joked.
Kroos, Modric, and rotations
Real Madrid have a star-studded squad, which means legendary midfielders such as Toni Kroos and Luka Modric are often left out of the starting lineup. The duo are reportedly unhappy with their role.
Ancelotti was asked about this, to which he replied, “It hurts to leave them on the bench. But only them, Valverde, Tchouameni, too. It’s always hard to leave a player on the bench.”
“They understand it because the competition is very high. I understand that a player comes out sad when he is substituted. But I do it to make the player more active.”
El Clasico vs Madrid Derby
Ancelotti was also asked to compare the Madrid derby to El Clasico, and which one he preferred more.
“There is no difference. We like to prepare for matches like these, to be champions, because there is a special tension. There is excitement and we want to win and be champions.”
“The Madrid derby is always a special game. A lot of quality between two rivals. Atletico played very well against Lazio,” he added.
Source: RMTV
