Real Madrid appear to change stance on main penalty-taker as Carlo Ancelotti responds when asked about Vinicius Jr
Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti appears to have a flexible stance on the team's first-choice penalty-taker after Vinicius Junior salvaged a point at Las Palmas on Thursday (August 29).
Having initially declared Vinicius as the primary penalty-taker, Ancelotti saw his side punished for their sluggish start at Las Palmas, as the hosts broke the deadlock inside five minutes.
Las Palmas squandered chances to double their advantage before Vinicius stepped up to bury a 69th-minute penalty to force a share of the spoils. Following the game, Ancelotti said that it's the players on the field who decide on the penalty-taker, indicating that Vinicius might not always be the first-choice taker.
"Vinicius penalty taker? The players decide," said Ancelotti (as per Madrid Xtra).
The goal was Vinicius' first of the season in four games across competitions. But new signing Kylian Mbappe - who scored on his club debut in the 2-0 UEFA Super Cup win over Atalanta in Warsaw - remains without a goal in three La Liga games.
Meanwhile, the stalemate means Los Blancos lost more ground on early pacesetters Barcelona, who are four points clear of the defending champions at the top after three games.
The holders next host Real Betis at home on Sunday before players leave for the international break.
Real Madrid boss explains Vinicius Junior and Co's slow start to the season
Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti has no qualms admitting the team's slow start to their La Liga title defence, Following a 1-1 draw at Mallorca, Los Blancos beat Real Valladolid 3-0 at home before drawing 1-1 at Las Palmas in midweek.
Ancelotti's side remain unbeaten in the league after three games but have some catching-up to do to avoid falling too far behind in the title race. Following the Las Palmas stalemate, the Italian boss said (as per Sportstar):
“It is clear that we are struggling to find the soundness of last season. But we must not look for excuses. The schedule is tight and we have to recover quickly, because on Sunday we have another game.
“I need to have a clearer strategy, to give the players more clarity in what I want. It’s costing us more than we thought. We have to work and concentrate on the path we want to take."
Real Madrid take on Real Sociedad at home in the league after the international break before opening their UEFA Champions League title defence at home to Stuttgart.