Real Madrid‘s season has been far from the dominant campaign fans anticipated, especially after signing Kylian Mbappe on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain. Head coach Carlo Ancelotti is grappling with tactical adjustments to maximize the team’s star-studded roster, leading to a series of disappointing results in recent weeks. Speaking ahead of their next match, Ancelotti shed light on the struggles of key players like Mbappe, Jude Bellingham, and Vinicius Jr.

The stars are not aligning, and the team’s recent performance against AC Milan in the UEFA Champions League showcased their struggles. Despite scoring once, Madrid failed to create significant chances and were defensively vulnerable in a 3-1 defeat. Addressing the situation, Ancelotti used a question about Mbappe to highlight broader team issues in a pre-match press conference.

“Mbappe is training well. He’s going through a tough time, just like all of us are. We need to be smart to get out of it as quickly as possible. The problem he’s facing is the same one we’re all dealing with—we’re not able to bring out our best version. I’m talking about Mbappe, but I could say the same about Vinicius, Bellingham, Rodrygo, or myself,” said the Italian boss.

The team suffered a huge setback in El Clasico against FC Barcelona, and now they place 2nd in La Liga 9 points behind them, but the coach is still confident about the team competing on all fronts: “We will fight for all the titles, for sure. We have the Intercontinental Cup in December. We are going to catch up in La Liga. We are going to bounce back in Champions League”.

As Real Madrid prepares to host Osasuna for Matchday 13—following the suspension of their game against Valencia—the Italian coach hinted at potential lineup changes, particularly in defense, which he identified as the team’s primary issue.

The Mbappe’s dilemma for Ancelotti and Real Madrid

One of Ancelotti’s biggest challenges has been integrating Mbappe into a cohesive attacking unit. While the Frenchman’s numbers—8 goals and 2 assists in 15 appearances across La Liga, Champions League, and the UEFA Super Cup—are respectable, they fall short of the lofty expectations set upon his arrival.

Mbappe, traditionally a left-winger, has been pushed into a central striker role to accommodate Vinicius Jr., who remains Madrid’s primary weapon on the left. This adjustment has visibly impacted Mbappe’s ability to influence games. Against Milan, it was Bellingham making forward runs into the box, while Mbappe often operated far from the penalty area.

Addressing the positional conflict, Ancelotti defended his approach. “About the roles, I don’t want to change the position of the player that marks the difference (referring to Vinicius). Besides, I think Mbappe has the qualities to play as a striker,” said the coach amid this poisitional crisis in Real Madrid,” he stated.