Real Madrid are entering the moment of truth of their season. Qualified for the quarter-finals of the Champions League where it will have to play the outgoing winner of the competition, Manchester City, the same one which eliminated it from the C1 last year, the club from the Spanish capital is preparing for the major deadlines to come. After that, it will be time to think about what comes next, and especially the upcoming integration of Kylian Mbappé from next season. Finding a place for him won't be easy.
The Frenchman will have to integrate into a collective which is already doing very well without him. Last summer, Carlo Ancelotti drew a diamond to allow Bellingham to be in the best possible condition. The recipe works since the Englishman has 20 goals and 9 assists in 31 matches. This time, we will have to combine with Vinicius Junior and Mbappé, whose profiles are quite similar. Both like to play up front, rather on the left side. A choice is therefore necessary.
Playing two up front with Mbappé and Vinicius
A few weeks ago, Ancelotti had a little phrase that surprised more than one person. He favored this famous left side for the Brazilian. “He (Vinicius Junior, editor's note) can also play inside, with another striker, but I have to take into account that he is very comfortable playing outside. I want to put him where he feels most comfortable, which is on the left wing. Some saw it as a formula also addressed to Mbappé, implying that he would have to adapt.
According to Marca, the Italian coach will indeed play the two men together, rather in a two-man attack, leaving one element on the bench, most probably Rodrygo, allowing Bellingham not to suffer from this organization. It is also the most used system this season. The coach is also counting on the evolution of Vinicius, to be a player capable of evolving ever closer to the surface. The instructions seem more and more clear.
