“He’s scoring goals and we’re very happy with him” - Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti shut down Kylian Mbappe critics ahead of Barcelona El Clasico

Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti has responded to criticism about Kylian Mbappe ahead of their LaLiga clash against Barcelona. The upcoming El Clasico is slated for Saturday, October 26 at Santiago Bernabéu.

Kylian Mbappe joined Los Blancos on a five-year contract in June after leaving Paris Saint-Germain as a free agent. He has netted eight goals and provided two assists in 13 appearances across competitions for the Spanish giants so far this season. However, the French star has received criticism about his performances for Real Madrid with frequent comparisons with his record at the Ligue 1 club.

Mbappe recorded 44 goals and 10 assists in 48 matches for Paris Saint-Germain last season. Overall, he scored 256 goals and provided 108 assists in 308 appearances in his seven-season tenure (including the one-season loan from Monaco) there.

Carlo Ancelotti addressed the critics of the 25-year-old forward ahead of El Clasico and said (via @theMadridZone on X):

"Mbappe struggling? He’s scoring goals and we’re very happy with him. He’ll keep on improving and integrating into the team."

Real Madrid registered a 5-2 win against Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League on October 22 where Kylian Mbappe provided an assist. After the game, the Italian manager backed the Monaco graduate, expressing confidence that the star forward will be improving further with time. Ancelotti said (via Football España):

"We are satisfied, because he has scored goals. He is important for the team, against Dortmund he was very present in both goals. Neither me, nor the squad nor him are in a hurry. Obviously he is going to do better because he has all the qualities to do better."

Real Madrid's clash against Barcelona on Saturday will mark Kylian Mbappe's first El Clasico. He has faced the Catalan club four times before in the UEFA Champions League during his tenure at Paris Saint-Germain. He has netted six goals against the Blaugrana while winning two matches, drawing one, and losing one.

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Kylian Mbappe sends encouraging message to Real Madrid teammate ahead of La Liga clash against Barcelona

Following Real Madrid's 5-2 victory against Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League, Jude Bellingham made a post on social media with the caption:

"Power of the Bernabeu!🤯🤍 Finishing practice for me tomorrow🥴🥲"

The English midfielder provided one assist in Los Blancos' recent Champions League win. However, he has been in a goal drought since the beginning of the 2024-25 campaign.

Ahead of Madrid's clash against Barcelona, Bellingham's club teammate Kylian Mbappe commented on his post, assuring that the slump will be over soon. The France national team captain wrote:

"It’s gonna come really soon don’t worry 😉"

Jude Bellingham has faced Barcelona thrice before, winning all three of them with Real Madrid while netting three goals and providing one assist. He has recorded three assists in 10 appearances for Los Blancos so far this season.