Carlo Ancelotti has decided to drop one of Vinicius Jr, Kylian Mbappe, Bellingham or Rodrygo to find balance in Real Madrid XI: Reports

Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti has reportedly decided to drop one of the superstars, Vinicius Jr., Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham, or Rodrygo, from their starting XI. The Italian tactician believes benching one of them could add balance to their starting lineups.

Los Blancos suffered an embarrassing 5-2 defeat to Barcelona in the Supercopa de Espana final on Sunday. The heavy loss comes after their 4-0 loss to the Catalans in LaLiga in October. Real Madrid are currently second in LaLiga with 43 points from 19 games.

After two big losses against their biggest rivals, Carlo Ancelotti and his coaching staff have reportedly decided to make some changes in Los Blancos' usual starting XI. According to journalist Mario Cortegena, the Italian coach believes benching one of their four attacking players - Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr., Rodrygo, and Jude Bellingham - could help their case.

It is worth noting that before Kylian Mbappe's arrival, Real Madrid benefitted from an attacking line-up of Vinicius, Bellingham, and Rodrygo. Last season, they won the UEFA Champions League, LaLiga, and the Supercopa de Espana.

Meanwhile, Mbappe has improved greatly despite his slow start at the Bernabeu since arriving in the summer of 2024. The Frenchman was among Madrid's best players in their 5-2 loss against Barcelona, recording one goal and drawing the foul which led to the second.

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How have Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr. performed for Real Madrid this season?

Mbappe and Vinicius Jr. - Source: Getty

Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr. are two of the most important players for Real Madrid, forming the backbone of their attack. Vinicius has contributed 13 goals and 10 assists for Los Blancos across competitions this season. He notably scored a hat-trick against Borussia Dortmund in Los Merengues' 5-2 win over Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League in October.

Meanwhile, Kylian Mbappe had a slow start at Real Madrid after his arrival as a free agent from Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in the summer of 2024. He notably missed two penalties in consecutive games against Liverpool in the UCL and Athletic Club in LaLiga, which the club lost 2-0 and 2-1, respectively.

However, the Frenchman is slowly regaining his lethal form despite not playing in his preferred position at left wing. He has registered 14 goals and three assists in 27 outings for Los Blancos across competitions. Despite the Spanish giants suffering a 5-2 loss against Barcelona, Mbappe's opening goal of the night was one of the best strikes in the game.

Vinicius Jr. and Mbappe could be the last ones to be benched if Carlo Ancelotti decides to sideline one of the four attackers at Real Madrid.