Bellingham, Mbappe and Vinicius discussed match strategy at half-time – What was said? | OneFootball

Real Madrid’s first La Liga match of the season ended in a frustrating 1-1 draw, leaving manager Carlo Ancelotti visibly upset.

The experienced Italian coach did not hold back in expressing his dissatisfaction during the post-match press conference, highlighting the team’s lack of balance on the field and subtly criticised the players for their insufficient defensive commitment.

Ancelotti’s concerns were not unfounded. A crucial moment occurred during half-time as the team prepared to re-enter the pitch. Jude Bellingham, one of Real Madrid’s key players, drew attention to an issue that was troubling him.

What was discussed between the Real Madrid attackers?

The young Englishman emphasised the importance of regaining possession after losing the ball, a task that had proved challenging during the match.

In a conversation captured by Movistar (h/t MARCA), Kylian Mbappe, Rodrygo and Vinicius Jr. were discussing the effectiveness of their strategy to swap positions on the field.

This tactic had been causing significant problems for Mallorca’s defence. Mbappe pointed out that their positional exchanges were catching the opposition off guard, making it difficult for Mallorca to anticipate their movements.

Kylian Mbappe failed to score against Mallorca. (Photo by Rafa Babot/Getty Images)

“I think that when we change, they don’t wait for us there. And you can give passes to the other side, quickly,” said the Real Madrid forward.

As the discussion unfolded, Bellingham interjected with a crucial request: “You three, finish the plays, because running backwards is very hard.”

Mbappe nodded in agreement, acknowledging the importance of concluding their attacking moves with a decisive end product. “That’s what I say, we have to finish them with something,” he replied.

Bellingham reiterated the need to create space and take more shots at goal, emphasising that this would ease the burden on the team defensively. “Try, try. Create space and… (makes the gesture of shooting at goal).”

Despite their efforts, Mallorca capitalised on a mistake by Real Madrid, resulting in a corner that eventually led to Vedat Muriqi’s goal.

The defensive lapse highlighted the very concerns Ancelotti had raised about the team’s collective effort to regain possession and maintain pressure after losing the ball.