If there is one criticism of Carlo Ancelotti's Real Madrid this season, it starts with their two Clásico defeats to Barcelona. The Italian coach has built a seven-point lead over their fierce rivals in La Liga, but their two defeats, 4-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu and 5-2 in Saudi Arabia, have left a prickly will in the Spanish capital.
Despite the gap in the table between the two, Ancelotti has received far more criticism than his counterpart Hansi Flick. However, there is no doubt that Real Madrid's struggles against La Liga and the Champions League have become a talking point, and Ancelotti will be desperate to avoid a negative result against Atletico Madrid in next month's Madrid derby.
The fact that Barcelona have twice managed to exploit Real Madrid's weaknesses in showpiece events has caused a backlash and according to Catalunya Radio, Jude Bellingham was impressed. They claim that Bellingham are 'in love' with Flick's playing style, Barcelona's approach to games, and especially the fact that their players at least seem to know what to do and where to be. This was something he spoke about with his inner circle after the final Clásico defeat.
This will undoubtedly be read as an implicit criticism of Ancelotti and his approach, with the Italian being less tied to a specific system and giving the players autonomy in many areas. Since he made the comments privately, this is still more of an assumption than a reality, according to the report.
In the past, Bellingham has spoken positively about Ancelotti's confidence in his stars, who are able to work things out for themselves positionally, giving them a role rather than creating space. It's certainly a strategy that has worked wonders for Bellingham, unlocking his goal-scoring potential last season and most recently this season.
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