“Let's not go crazy" - Carlo Ancelotti sends strong message after Real Madrid lose to Barcelona
Carlo Ancelotti gave his take on Real Madrid's 2-1 friendly loss against Barcelona on Saturday (August 3) at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. Pau Victor continued his brilliant pre-season form as he scored a brace (42', 54') to put his team 2-0 up.
Nineteen-year-old midfielder Nico Paz then pulled one back for Los Blancos eight minutes from time but that wasn't enough to stop Barca from securing the win. Both teams used the chance to give playing time to young players and those on the fringes of first-team action.
Real Madrid were also without the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham, with the duo still on their off-season break. Barcelona were also missing first-team stars such as Frenkie de Jong and Gavi with injuries.
After the loss, Carlo Ancelotti reminded fans about his team's injury troubles and asked for patience as the season has yet to start. He said (via Tribal Football):
"The objective now is to give minutes and get the returning players in shape. We are not thinking about the tactical issue or other things, just getting the players who are working now in good condition. At a tactical level we will work from day 7.
"Let's not go crazy [over the result]. These are preseason games, we are missing eight players... The result is not as important to us as getting the players into good shape."
Real Madrid next play in a friendly against Chelsea (Aug. 6) before facing Atalanta in the UEFA Super Cup on 14 August in Warsaw, Poland.
Carlo Ancelotti drops huge team update for Real Madrid after Barcelona
Carlo Ancelotti knew how to raise Real Madrid fans' spirits after a pre-season loss to Barcelona. After full-time, he confirmed that Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe will be available to face Atalanta.
Los Blancos, winners of last year's UEFA Champions League, will take on the UEFA Europa League champions in a one-off match. Mbappe and Bellingham will likely start, given the rest they have had and their importance to the team.
Ancelotti said (via @MadridXtra on X):
"Mbappe can start in the Super Cup, obviously. Jude Bellingham too. They are ready."
Mbappe arrived from Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) on a free transfer this summer. The 25-year-old Frenchman, with seven Ligue 1 titles and a World Cup trophy to his name, is expected to lead Real Madrid's attack once the season starts.
Bellingham, meanwhile, helped his team to La Liga and Champions League glory. He registered 23 goals and 13 assists in 42 games across competitions in what was a dream debut campaign for him in Spain.