“Very good game” – Carlo Ancelotti praises Kylian Mbappe; blames rest of the team for humiliating loss to Barcelona

Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti praised Kylian Mbappe, while blaming the rest of the team for their poor display during defeat to Barcelona.

“Very good game” – Carlo Ancelotti praises Kylian Mbappe; blames rest of the team for humiliating loss to Barcelona

Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti singled out Kylian Mbappe for praise after defeat (via Standard UK)

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti was left frustrated after the club’s disappointing 5-2 defeat to Barcelona in the Supercopa de Espana final. The Italian boss singled out Kylian Mbappe as the only good performer, while lamenting the other players. 

Los Blancos saw their opportunity of starting the new year with a title being pulled away by the Catalan giants, with a dominating 5-2 win. It also marked Barcelona’s second El Clasico win this season, in which they have scored a combined nine goals. Kylian Mbappe was the only good player for Madrid. He opened the scoring for the Los Blancos in the 5th minute with a smart finish after a spectacular solo run.

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However, Lamine Yamal equalized in the 22nd minute. Soon, Barca went on a goal-scoring rampage until the last minutes of the game. Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti, speaking after the match, did not shy away from criticizing his side’s defensive efforts in the Supercopa showdown in Jeddah. He highlighted Mbappe’s performance, admitting that the 25-year-old was an exception in the El Clasico defeat.

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While refraining from naming any player, the Italian boss did state the fact that Real Madrid could not utilize the one-man advantage that they had over their rivals. Barca keeper Wojciech Szczesny was shown a red card in the 56th minute of the match. 

You have to defend well to win these games. The team is not looking good, but I’m not going to point the finger at anyone. Mbappe had a good game, he was probably the only one who played well.

Carlo Ancelotti on Kylian Mbappe and Real Madrid (H/T GOAL)

Real Madrid will hope to bounce back when they take on Celta Vigo next in the Copa del Rey. Meanwhile, Barcelona claimed their first trophy of the season under new manager Hansi Flick. It marks the Catalan club’s 15th Supercopa de Espana title.

Atletico Madrid taunt city-rivals Real Madrid following disappointing Supercopa defeat to Barcelona

One of Real Madrid’s biggest rivals, Atletico Madrid, took to social media to taunt Los Blancos. It came after Los Blancos’ humiliating 5-2 defeat to Barcelona in the Supercopa final. The other team based in Madrid definitely enjoyed their arch-rivals being thrashed by the Catalan side.

Atletico Madrid taunt Real Madrid
Atletico Madrid taunted city-rivals Real Madrid on social media, after Supercopa defeat. (via X)

Atletico Madrid posted a picture of defender Cesar Azpilicueta, raising his hand to show five fingers, immediately after the Supercup final whistle. The image carried a caption which read out, ‘Have a nice weekend.’ It was aimed at Real Madrid, following their disastrous defeat. The five-finger gesture, often termed ‘La Manita’, is made when a team scores five goals in a match in Spain. 

Interestingly, the ‘Manita’ gesture was popularized by former Barcelona defender Gerard Pique, during his time at the club. Pique himself performed the ‘Manita’ celebration, aimed at ex-Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas in Turin.