Ancelotti talks Mbappe, Vinicius, Bellingham, Rodrygo, future ahead of Brest vs Real Madrid | OneFootball

Real Madrid will be in action in their final league phase game of the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League on Wednesday night when they take on surprise package Brest away at the Guingamp stadium.

The Merengues have little to no chance of finishing in the top eight and qualifying directly for the Round of 16.

Currently 16th in the table, Real Madrid are just one point below Bayer Leverkusen in the eighth spot. Even if they win tomorrow, the Spanish capital giants will need a number of other results to go their way to stand a chance of securing a direct spot in the Round of 16.

Ahead of tomorrow’s game against the Ligue 1 outfit, Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti spoke to the media and discussed a plethora of topics.

On what kind of game he is expecting tomorrow against Brest, the Italian tactician said:

“Difficult, as always. Brest have done very well in the Champions League. They have one more point and a chance to qualify… good. There will be a lot at stake for both teams. We want to close well this group stage… which has been complicated.”

Talking about what he expects from Brest in the match, he added: “Brest play by squeezing the quality out of their players. They have a very tall striker with a very strong head and they look for it up top, but they also have fast wingers and can hurt you on the counter.

“It’s no coincidence that they have 13 points. They have been better than many opponents and we respect them a lot.”

If he will be keeping an eye on other results tomorrow, Ancelotti replied: “No. We’ll only be thinking about what’s important to us. Win… and try to finish as high as possible.

“Then we’ll draw lots and see what happens. For tomorrow we only think about winning our game. Nothing else.”

Ancelotti wary of Brest ahead of UCL clash. (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)

Ancelotti’s future has been a much talked-about subject in recent weeks and he made it clear that he would continue at Real Madrid until the club themselves asked him to leave.

On being asked if he sees himself continuing at the Santiago Bernabeu if he leads the team to La Liga or UCL success this season, the 65-year-old said:

“I think so, there is no doubt. Club and I want to stay as long as possible. If something strange happens, there may be changes, as normally happens in football. But we are fine, with confidence in each other.

“But we’re not looking a year from now, we’re looking to have a good season. We are doing well, despite the difficulty, because many people forget that we are missing a lot of players. But even so, we have confidence in this season.”

Hailing the team for their recent performances, Ancelotti noted: “It has to do with the team, with its improvement. We’re not at our best, but we’re pretty close. We are all very clear about what we have to do and we have improved as a team.

“But the individuals are also giving us a lot. Especially Mbappe, of course, but without forgetting Rodrygo, Bellingham… Vinicius! That’s what makes me feel more at ease.”

Regarding Kylian Mbappe’s recent improvement in form, Ancelotti noted: “He is doing very well. He needed some time to adapt, but he’s already doing very well. Motivated. He likes to play with teammates and we are enjoying it. All of us Madridistas are doing it.”

Amid talks of Saudi Arabia’s strong and continued interest in Vinicius Jr., Ancelotti was asked whether he would understand if the Brazilian international left Real Madrid for the Middle East. In response, he said:

“I understand everything. In football I understand everything. I also understood that Kroos left football… and that few did. These decisions are individual.

“But I already said it: I see him happy, wanting to stay here and win titles with Real Madrid. I think he will choose glory.”

Source: AS