With Real Madrid facing Sevilla at the Bernabéu on Sunday for their final 2024 match, Carlo Ancelotti declared that Kylian Mbappe’s “period of adaptation has finished.”
Madrid defeated Pachuca 3-0 in Qatar on Wednesday, with Mbappé scoring the first goal. He now has 13 goals in all competitions this season and has already won two trophies, including the FIFA Intercontinental Cup and the UEFA Super Cup, which he won in August.
Madrid is competing with Barcelona and Atletico Madrid, who play each other on Saturday, for the top spot in La Liga going into the match against Sevilla.

“Mbappe’s period of adaptation has finished,” Ancelotti declared during a press conference on Saturday. “He’s at his peak right now, but he can still get better. He has performed excellently in recent games. After recovering from his minor injuries, he appears more driven and enthusiastic. Like everyone else, he need some time, but that time is now past.”
Five goals have been scored by Mbappé in his previous seven games for Real Madrid, and he bounced back fast from a hamstring injury he suffered against Atalanta in the Champions League to play Pachuca.

The fact that injuries have prevented Ancelotti from starting his four attacking stars—Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior, Jude Bellingham, and Rodrygo Goes—in the same eleven more frequently has been a source of frustration for the manager.
“Sometimes Rodrygo has been injured, sometimes Bellingham, they’ve played few games [together] but from what little we’ve seen they combine well,” Ancelotti explained. “Mbappé has alternated between playing on the left, Vinícius inside, and Bellingham on the left at times. I will allow the four a great deal of latitude rather than assigning them to a specific role.

“The only thing Mbappé needs to work on is being more consistent and attempting to accomplish the things that only he can do as frequently as possible. I don’t expect him to play a big part in the build-up. His greatest quality is his ability to find room and fit in. It is necessary for him to do that more often.
Long-time absentee David Alaba should be vying for a spot in the squad by the middle of January, according to Ancelotti, while Ferland Mendy would be eligible for the match against Sevilla. “I think it will be a much more competitive league than in recent years,” he stated in reference to Saturday’s matchup between Atletico and Barcelona.

“Atletico is equipped to try to battle for it. Because it will be competitive, I believe you can win the league this year with fewer than 90 points, and it will be exciting right up until the very end.”