Ancelotti prefers Mbappe’s goals to pushing

On Monday, Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti advised attacker Kylian Mbappe to prioritize scoring goals over helping the team.

The Spanish and European champions have struggled this season and are still figuring out how to use the former Paris Saint-Germain star after his summer move. Madrid lost at Lille in their last Champions League encounter and face Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday in a rematch of last season’s final, which they won for a record 15th European title.

“I prefer (Mbappe) scores goals than presses,” Ancelotti told a news conference.

“Our central striker position has not altered; I ask him the same as Karim (Benzema, who left in 2023).

“To be well positioned and to be ready every time we get the ball back to make a rapid transition.”

Mbappe has eight goals in 12 games across all competitions this season, compared to Robert Lewandowski’s 14.

The attacker was criticized in France for missing the latest Nations League games after recovering from a thigh ailment. After a vacation to Stockholm during the international break, Swedish media said he is being probed for a rape. Mbappe called the claims “fake news”.

Mbappe’s presence at Madrid causes Jude Bellingham, Los Blancos’ major attacking figure last season, to play more defensively. After scoring 10 in his first 10 games last year, the former Borussia Dortmund midfielder has yet to score in nine games this season.

“We’re satisfied with his work… because he works a lot on the pitch, he’s always there, he competes, fights, sacrifices himself,” he stated.

The reality is he hasn’t scored as many goals as last year, but no one anticipated him to score so many last year.

“We’ve always scored goals and we’ll always score goals, we have players with great attacking talent up front… so for us at this moment, the work he is doing is much more important for us.”

Madrid enjoys end-to-end contests because to their attacking stars, including Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo Goes, according to Ancelotti.

Dortmund practiced in Germany before going to Madrid on Monday, with German media reporting that they were worried about the Spanish giants watching.

“We need a strong mentality, the game has to go our way to survive here,” Dortmund coach Nuri Sahin told a news conference upon arrival at the Bernabeu.

The former Madrid star stated his struggling Bundesliga squad, eighth, needs to work together to stop Mbappe, Vinicius, and co.

“It’s only possible (to succeed) as a collective, not just against these two, but against all of Real’s players,” added.

“Of course, every coach thinks of (a plan) and the lads know what to do, but we also want to be brave.”

Julian Brandt, a midfielder, said closing down Madrid players fast was crucial.