Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti expressed confidence in his decision to adjust Kylian Mbappe’s position in the attack, following the French star’s goal in a 3-0 victory over Leganes on Sunday. Mbappe, who had struggled to adapt as a central forward since joining the La Liga champions, ended his goal drought by scoring his seventh goal of the season.
Ancelotti revealed that the tactical adjustment involved swapping Mbappe to the left wing and moving Brazilian forward Vinicius Jr to a more central role. The change proved effective, with Mbappe scoring off a brilliant assist from Vinicius.
“Mbappe played on the left side, where he’s more comfortable, and Vinicius moved inside. Their combination was excellent, especially for the opening goal,” Ancelotti said in a post-match press conference. “Kylian looked fresher after training with us for the past week and a half, while Vinicius had recently returned from international duty.”
Mbappe’s international absence during the recent break, despite being France’s captain, allowed him to regain fitness. In contrast, Vinicius participated in Brazil’s South American World Cup qualifiers, which influenced Ancelotti’s decision to rotate their roles.
Injury Updates and Tactical Flexibility
With Real Madrid dealing with defensive injuries and a crucial trip to face Liverpool looming, Ancelotti remains hopeful that Lucas Vazquez, recovering from a hamstring issue, and Aurelien Tchouameni, nursing a sprained ankle, will return soon. In the meantime, Ancelotti praised Federico Valverde’s versatility after the Uruguayan delivered a standout performance at right-back, including a goal from a free-kick.
“Fede has been fantastic at the back. After Dani Carvajal and Lucas Vazquez, he’s one of the best right-backs in the world,” Ancelotti said. “The challenge is that he’s so good in multiple positions, which gives me tough decisions to make for the team.”
Ancelotti concluded by emphasizing the importance of squad depth as Real Madrid prepares for upcoming challenges, including their Premier League showdown against Liverpool.
