Carlo Ancelotti highlights Real Madrid's 'problem' as Mbappe remains silent on La Liga debut

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti has spoken after his side were held to a 1-1 draw by Mallorca on Sunday night.

Los Blancos were keen to start the 2024/25 La Liga season in style but their performance left a lot to be desired, despite taking a 13-minute lead through Rodrygo.

Vedat Muriqi equalised for Mallorca in the 53rd minute, deflecting his header past Thibaut Courtois following a corner.

The game ended bitterly in the final minute of added time for Los Blancos when Ferland Mendy was ordered to leave the pitch for a terrible tackle on Muriqi.

It was also a difficult night for debutant Kylian Mbappe, with the former Paris Saint-Germain man failing to influence the course of the game. The France international may also be somewhat concerned by his manager's post-match comments.

Ancelotti lambasted his side for their lack of “balance” throughout the game, a telling admission that could see the Italian make tactical adjustments to his side for their clash against Real Valladolid this weekend.

“We lacked balance. I'm not happy with the draw because we could have done better. We need to have a better attitude. We can learn a lot from this match because it seems clear that we could have problems,” he said.

Following Mbappe's arrival as a free agent, questions were raised over the impact the 25-year-old could have on the team given the plethora of attacking talent already present at the Bernabeu.

Last season, Jude Bellingham was deployed in a false nine role where he was tasked with being the focal point of the attack.

However, Mbappe's arrival has seen the England international pushed back into midfield – a position he is likely to be more familiar with, although an adaptation period may be needed.

Similarly, Vincius Jr and Rodrygo were given the freedom to roam the front line during the 2023/24 campaign, but both appear to have been stripped of that creative freedom at the Estadi Mallorca Son Moix.

Ancelotti therefore has a team selection headache, as Mbappe's arrival could come at the expense of another attacking player to resolve the imbalance.