In their first pre-season match during the US tour, a fresh-looking Real Madrid team faced a 0-1 defeat against AC Milan.
The game, held in Chicago, marked the beginning of Real Madrid’s preparations for the upcoming season. After the match, the team’s manager, Carlo Ancelotti, shared his thoughts and emotions about the performance of his squad.
“We competed, we fought, we did good things, with many young players. The important thing was to compete and we did it. There are things to improve, but they are quite normal things,” said the manager as quoted by Mundo Deportivo.
Ancelotti’s thought on Guler, Endrick
Ancelotti expressed his pride in his team despite the loss. He emphasised that it was too early to draw significant conclusions from this match. However, he took the opportunity to highlight the performances of two players: Arda Guler and Endrick.
Guler, the young Turkish international, stood out during the game. Ancelotti praised Guler for his hard work and dedication during the off-season.
The coach noted that Guler had trained diligently during his holidays, returning to the team in even better shape than before. According to Ancelotti, the upcoming 2024/25 season is poised to be a crucial one for Guler, who seems ready to make a significant impact.
“Arda has trained very well during his holidays. He has returned stronger, more resilient and with the same quality. I think it will be an important season for him, with more prominence,”
“His best position is number 10, playing between the lines, but better on the right side so that he can take advantage of the quality of his left foot. With time he could also be a good midfielder,” explained Ancelotti.
On the other hand, Endrick, a new addition to the team, had a challenging debut. Although he didn’t manage to take any shots on goal, Endrick showed his potential by making several dangerous passes that just missed their mark.
Ancelotti addressed the expectations surrounding Endrick, advising caution and reminding fans that it would be unfair to demand too much from the young player in his first season.
He emphasised the importance of allowing Endrick time to adapt and grow within the team.
“Endrick has something special. He has a great ability to be very fast in very few metres and that is rare to see a player like that.
“Brahim [Diaz] has played very well, Arda is prepared and Endrick has combined well. They enjoyed it.
“We have to adapt the new players, but we cannot think about adapting Endrick or Mbappé in five days,” said Ancelotti.
Ancelotti’s take on youngsters
Ancelotti also spoke about the contributions of the youth players, who were given more opportunities in the second half of the match.
He expressed his satisfaction with their efforts and performances. However, he also lamented an unfortunate injury to Cesar Palacios, who had to leave the field just minutes after coming on as a substitute.
The injury to Palacios was a setback, but Ancelotti remained optimistic about the young players’ future contributions to the team.
“He has a problem with his knee and he doesn’t look good.”
“It’s time for the younger players to enjoy themselves. Joan Martínez has potential, he’s young, but he has potential. He has everything a Madrid centre-back needs,” concluded Ancelotti.