Real Madrid's coach, Carlo Ancelotti, is seeking a significant enhancement from his team as they prepare for their inaugural home fixture of the La Liga season against Valladolid on Sunday, with Kylian Mbappe set to make his debut at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Ancelotti expressed his dissatisfaction following the season's lackluster opening—a 1-1 draw against Mallorca—stating to the press: "We needed to perform better and exhibit more determination." Mbappe and the majority of Real's new "Galacticos" delivered a lackluster display in Mallorca, with goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois's exceptional saves preventing a loss.
"It was a match we could have lost due to our lack of balance," Ancelotti remarked. "It was not a satisfactory performance. Our team is heavily focused on attack, and maintaining defensive balance is crucial to our strategy." In both the Mallorca match and the recent 2-0 UEFA Super Cup victory over Atalanta, Ancelotti deployed Mbappe as a central forward, flanked by wingers Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo with Jude Bellingham, and supported by two midfielders, Fede Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni.
Following the retirement of German midfielder Toni Kroos, Ancelotti opted to sacrifice midfield stability for increased attacking prowess. However, Mbappe's impact was less than anticipated, and Real's susceptibility to counterattacks highlighted the need for further adaptation to integrate their marquee signing effectively.
"We struggled to regain possession or press effectively after losing the ball," Ancelotti noted. "Defensive efforts must be a team effort. Balance is achieved when players are aligned in their approach. This was a critical aspect of the match that our team failed to grasp."
In Madrid, under the new stadium roof designed to protect fans from the intense summer heat, Real Madrid faces a Valladolid team buoyed by a successful start against Espanyol. Meanwhile, Hansi Flick's Barcelona, despite missing several key players and starting three 17-year-olds, managed a 2-1 comeback victory at Valencia thanks to a double from Robert Lewandowski.
Barcelona's coach, Flick, will be without new signing Dani Olmo, who is yet to be registered with LaLiga due to financial fair play breaches. The team is urgently seeking player sales to improve their financial standing and register Olmo, a standout performer in Euro 2024.
On Sunday in Madrid, Atletico will welcome Girona, both teams having drawn in their opening matches. Manager Diego Simeone will have new signings Julian Alvarez and Conor Gallagher at his disposal.
