Carlo Ancelotti Explains Positional Changes for Mbappé and Vinícius Jr.
Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti shared his thoughts on his team's commanding 3-0 win against Leganés in La Liga. The victory highlighted key tactical adjustments made by the Italian manager.
"We played a solid match from start to finish. The team stayed focused and disciplined. We made a slight change to the positioning of our forwards: Kylian Mbappé moved closer to the wing, while Vinícius Jr. shifted to a more central role. They adapted brilliantly. Vinícius delivered a great assist for the opening goal. The positive momentum we built against Osasuna carried over into this game. We're more compact and focused now, and things are looking good," Ancelotti remarked.
Why the Positional Adjustments?
Ancelotti further elaborated on the reasoning behind the changes: "Mbappé is more accustomed to playing on the left, but operating on the flank is more physically demanding than playing centrally. Vinícius returned from international duty on Thursday, while Mbappé was fresher. Kylian scored a goal thanks to a fantastic assist from Vinícius. Both players are steadily improving," the coach added.
The result brought Real Madrid closer to their fierce rivals Barcelona in the La Liga standings. The gap is now just four points, with Los Blancos holding a game in hand, keeping the title race very much alive.