Ancelotti Faces Penalty Decision Amid Star-Studded Real Madrid Attack

 

According to Carlo Ancelotti, Kylian Mbappe is still in the running to replace Gareth Bale as Real Madrid's official penalty-taker for the upcoming season.

At National Stadium in Warsaw, the reigning European and Spanish champions Real Madrid will face Europa League winners Atalanta in the UEFA Super Cup on Wednesday. Mbappe will debut for Los Blancos in this first competitive match of the 2024-25 season.

Choosing a penalty taker for Wednesday's match and the forthcoming season is difficult for Ancelotti and the club. 

While Kylian Mbappe was Paris Saint-Germain's go-to guy for penalty kicks, Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Junior, and Federico Valverde scored for their national teams at the European Championship and Copa America that just ended, respectively.

He is a penalty taker," the Italian manager stated in response to a question about whether Mbappe might go in during his pre-match press conference. 

Like Bellingham in the Euros and Valverde at the Copa America, Vinicius has done an excellent job with them. Whoever starts tomorrow's match is the one I'll have to pick tomorrow.

On Sunday, Los Blancos will face Mallorca in La Liga to begin their championship defense campaign following their match against the Italian club.