Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti was furious with his players during halftime of their 1-1 draw with Atletico Madrid in LaLiga on Saturday. Los Blancos trailed 1-0 at the break, courtesy of Julian Alvarez’s penalty.
Ancelotti’s anger was reportedly directed at his attacking trio of Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappe, and Vinicius Jr, who were said to be getting in each other’s way on the pitch. The three players often occupied the same spaces, causing confusion and disrupting the team’s attack.
At halftime, Ancelotti threatened to substitute his attackers unless they changed their approach quickly. He specifically instructed Vinicius to stay on the left flank and not drift into the middle of the pitch, where Mbappe and Bellingham were already operating.
The halftime talk seemed to have the desired effect, as Real Madrid equalized just five minutes into the second half through Mbappe’s goal. The draw kept Los Blancos top of the LaLiga table with 50 points, while Atletico Madrid have 49 points.
