Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti stated on Monday that he wants striker Kylian Mbappé to prioritise scoring goals rather than pressing to assist the team.
The Spanish and European champions have struggled to find their best form this season and are still working on how to integrate the former Paris Saint-Germain superstar following his arrival this summer.
Madrid suffered a loss to Lille in their last Champions League match and will face Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday in a rematch of last season’s final, which they won to secure a record-extending 15th European title.
“I prefer that Mbappé focuses on scoring goals rather than pressing,” Ancelotti said at a news conference. “The central striker role in our team hasn’t changed; I’m asking him for the same things I asked of Karim Benzema, who left in 2023.”
“He needs to be well positioned and ready to make a quick transition every time we regain possession of the ball.”
Mbappé has netted eight goals for Madrid in 12 matches across all competitions this season, compared to Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski’s 14 goals in the same number of appearances. The forward faced criticism in France for not participating in the recent Nations League matches after recovering from a thigh injury.
Reports in Swedish media indicate he is under investigation for an alleged rape in Stockholm following a trip there during the international break, which Mbappé has labelled as “fake news.”
Mbappé’s arrival at Madrid has resulted in a more defensive role for Jude Bellingham, who was Los Blancos’ key attacking player last season.
The former Borussia Dortmund midfielder has yet to score for the club this season in nine games, after netting 10 goals in his first 10 appearances last year.
“We’re satisfied with his work… he works hard on the pitch, is always present, competes, fights, and sacrifices himself,” Ancelotti said.
“The truth is he hasn’t scored the same number of goals as last year, but the real surprise isn’t this year; it’s last year when he scored more goals than anyone expected.”
