Carlo Ancelotti denies making a mistake with Kylian Mbappé
The Real Madrid boss was asked if a positional change was needed to get the best from his French superstar.
Real Madrid began their home LaLiga campaign with a 3-0 victory over Real Valladolid at Santiago Bernabéu. Goals from Federico Valverde, Brahim Díaz and Endrick gave Los Blancos a hard-fought win.
One name not on the scoresheet, however, was that of Kylian Mbappé. The Frenchman finally arrived in the French capital after a decade-long association with the club, but is yet to score in either of his first two LaLiga appearances.
In all of his Madrid appearances to date Mbappé has been deployed as a central striker, albeit with a license to drift towards the wing. Speaking to reporters after the game, head coach Carlo Ancelotti was asked whether he believed Mbappé would benefit from being playing out wide as he has done for much of his stellar career to date.
“No, I don’t think so at all,” the Real Madrid boss insisted. “[Mbappé] is a spectacular forward, he’s very fast, he moves well without the ball.”
“He had three chances. I think in that position he’ll score, as he’s always scored. I don’t think he has to play on the left or the right. He’ll score goals.”
Debut goal for teenage sensation Endrick
While Mbappé has not found the back of the net in either of his first two appearances in the Spanish top flight, a less-heralded summer arrival needed just ten minutes to make his mark for Real Madrid.
Brazilian wonderkid Endrick only turned 18 last month but he has already established a reputation as a pure goal scorer. He came on for Mbappé against Real Valladolid and scored Madrid’s third goal deep into stoppage time.
Collecting the ball on the edge of the box, Endrick shifted the ball away from a covering defender and rifled the ball low and hard, beating on-loan Arsenal goalkeeper Karl Hein at his near post.
“He looks good,” Ancelotti said of Endrick after the game. “He has great potential, and with the goal, he showed all his qualities. He has good control, and a good shot... He’s a penalty box forward. In small spaces he’s very, very dangerous.”
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