Carlo Ancelotti has defended Kylian Mbappé's form after the star forward disappointed in Real Madrid's 2-1 Champions League win over Atlético Madrid in midweek, saying the France captain's form will waver over the course of a season.
The French superstar was notably quiet in Tuesday's round of 16 first leg at the Bernabéu, a stark contrast to his dazzling performance against Manchester City in the previous round where he netted four goals across two matches.
Despite scoring an impressive 28 goals in all competitions for Madrid this season, Mbappé has failed to find the net in the team's last three games, against Atlético, Real Betis and Girona.
When questioned if criticism of Mbappé's performance against Atlético was justified, Ancelotti firmly replied: "So bad? No. What we see is that he didn't do against Atlético what he did against City. Against City he scored three, and against Atlético he didn't. Generally he's doing very well. We're very happy with him."
The Italian manager provided further insight into the nature of elite players' form, explaining, "He can't always be at his best. Against Atlético he wasn't, but in such a demanding season, that's normal, above all in players of quality. Quality players have more ups and downs. It's something genetic."
Ancelotti elaborated on this theory: "For players with great quality, it's harder to be consistent. But he's doing well. If we're in the last 16 of the Champions League, it's a lot down to him."
Real Madrid remain in contention for three major trophies this season. They currently sit just three points behind Barcelona and Atlético Madrid in the LaLiga title race, are competing in the Champions League round of 16, and will play the second leg of their Copa del Rey semifinal against Real Sociedad next month.
However, their recent 2-1 defeat at Real Betis on March 1 dealt a significant blow to their domestic campaign, allowing Barcelona and Atlético to gain an advantage in the title race.
Reflecting on that setback, Ancelotti admitted: "I was disappointed. I thought the team was in good form, I didn't expect that dip. But it was isolated... I think that in such a demanding season there's a lot of wear and tear. You can't always be at 100%."
Looking ahead, Madrid host Rayo Vallecano in LaLiga on Sunday, before visiting Atlético's Metropolitano for the Champions League round of 16 second leg, followed by a league trip to Villarreal.
Despite recent challenges, Ancelotti remains optimistic about his team's position across all competitions. "We're close," he stated. "We aren't in an ideal situation, but we're close to a Copa del Rey final, close to the leaders in LaLiga, and close to the Champions League quarterfinals."
The manager also provided a positive update on midfielder and stand-in right-back Fede Valverde, confirming he is "fine" and "available" to play against Rayo, having "only just made it" to start against Atlético on Tuesday.
