Real Madrid News
Nine Real Madrid first-team stars to resume pre-season training on Monday
Real Madrid have an exciting preseason in store. Over the next 30 days, the men in white are set to face off against Juventus, FC Barcelona, Manchester United and AC Milan in the United States of America providing the manager ample time to get accustomed to his refurbished squad.
The new objective begins on Monday as the club officially kick off their preparations for the 2023-24 season at the Valdebebas. However, the entire squad will not return from the hiatus together.
According to reports from Jose Felix Diaz of MARCA, nine first-team stars are set to return on the first day of the coming week. They will be joined by the Castilla players in training sessions. The rest of the team will only link up on the 20th of July in the USA.
Another interesting aspect of the scheduled preparatory phase is the managerial department. The journalist reports that both Carlo Ancelotti and Raul Gonzalez will jointly oversee the preparations of the players. The two tacticians see eye to eye and have a complete understanding among them.
The joint sessions will go on for around ten days until the first team makes its way to America. Needless to say, there could be some Castilla stars who make the trip too in the hope of impressing the Italian manager.
It will be critical for Ancelotti to weigh up his options and find synchrony amidst the mix of departures and arrivals at the Santiago Bernabeu. After all, there are some big changes in the team dynamics.
With four forwards departing the club and a relatively large number of quality midfielders in the mix, there is a chance that the manager opts for a shift in formation. The days to come will be decisive in testing out the permutations and finding a working formula.
Real Madrid News
Real Madrid rising star suffered against Atletico due to veteran forward’s absence, says Simeone
Real Madrid’s 3-1 defeat to Atletico Madrid was not the first time were in trouble this season. In fact, the Merengues have gone behind early in almost every league game so far.
However, the difference on Sunday night was that they never really mounted a comeback. More importantly, Jude Bellingham did not come good, for the first time.
Simeone unravels the mystery
A jubilant Diego Simeone spoke to the media after his side downed Real Madrid by three goals to one and spoke about a plethora of topics.
Interestingly, he commented specifically on why Bellingham did not have an impact at Civitas Metropolitano, citing the absence of Joselu as a key factor.
“No, the spaces were reduced and I think that Joselu’s lack of presence left him with fewer chances to get there, when he takes advantage of Joselu’s aerial play. We controlled him better, he’s extraordinary,” he said, as quoted by AS.
He even called out the refereeing on the night and insisted that the Real Madrid star-boy should have seen red for his late tackle on Angel Correa, saying:
“It looked like a sending-off to me live, it was a hard leg up, with Angelito hitting the ball.”
Ironically, he defended his defender Jose Maria Gimenez for an equally threatening tackle on the night.
“A bad foul, it’s a yellow card because it goes sideways. Bellingham goes from the front and I think it’s a bit more,” he stated paradoxically.
No time to lament
The game at Civitas Metropolitano may not have gone Real Madrid’s way. Yet, it is good for the Merengues to taste defeat early and see the gaping holes in their dynamic.
Carlo Ancelotti admitted in his press conference that he bore the lion’s share of the fault for Sunday’s loss and that he would have done things differently if given the chance.
“Maybe I could have done it better. It’s pretty clear. When the team doesn’t do what it has to do, it’s my responsibility,” he stated.
Nevertheless, Los Blancos have a hectic schedule ahead with two games in the next five days and a UCL fixture against Napoli next week. With Vinicius Jr back, one hopes they find their mojo once again.
