Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti tries to explain lack of Jude Bellingham goals – ‘He sacrifices himself’ | OneFootball

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has said he is not concerned by the lack of goals for Jude Bellingham, after a much slower start to the season. The England star has played three less games this season due to injury, but had 10 goals at this stage of the season, while this year he has yet to hit the back of the net, while he has the same number of assists (2).

Bellingham has seen his position changed on multiple occasions this season due to the absence of Toni Kroos, and the arrival of Kylian Mbappe. The 21-year-old was operating as almost a third forward last year, but has returned to a much more recognisable midfield role this year.

“We’re satisfied with his work, I am very satisfied. He works very hard, he competes, fights, sacrifices himself. The truth is that he has not scored as many goals as last year, but the surprise is not this year, the surprise was last year.”

“Last year he scored a load of goals, that nobody expected. Now, he is helping a lot still. The problem this year is not the lack of Bellingham’s goals, we have always scored goals and we always will, because we have a great amount of talent up front. For us, right now, the work he is doing is much more important.”

Real Madrid beat Celta Vigo on Saturday night, but did not put in a sound performance, and Ancleotti admitted he had changed Bellingham’s position as part of an experiment.

“He changed his position the other day, I put him on the right because we thought he could find more space to make runs from deep. The left wing is busier this year and the right wing has been left a little more exposed. We can be as effective with Bellingham and Rodrygo on the right as we are on the left,” Ancelotti noted.

Bellingham will be facing his former side for a second time in two seasons on Tuesday night, as Nuri Sahin’s team come to the Spanish capital hoping to inflict a second European defeat of the season on Real Madrid. After losing to Lille, Los Blancos sit 17th in the table, with six games to go, and just three points from both the top and the bottom.