Real Madrid Confidencial Edu Aguirre Points to 2 Madridists After the Victory Against City: It's the Moment...
Edu Aguirre believes that both have managed to silence the critics and that they should settle scores after qualifying for the round of 16.
Real Madrid achieved a great victory against Manchester City in the Champions League play-offs. With a 2-3 at the Etihad and a convincing 3-1 at the Bernabéu, Carlo Ancelotti's team secured their place in the round of 16 with an aggregate of 6-3.
The triumph featured great individual performances, but for Edu Aguirre, there were two key names: Kylian Mbappé and Carlo Ancelotti. The journalist was blunt on "El Chiringuito":
"Mbappé and Ancelotti Shut Many Mouths"
Aguirre defended the Italian coach after the criticism he received. "Ancelotti managed to shut many mouths because many were saying that Madrid couldn't play with three up front. In the end, they played with three forwards against Atlético de Madrid, delivering a stunning second half, and against City in both legs, giving an impressive performance".
For Aguirre, Mbappé has also silenced his critics. "They said he didn't fit in, that he couldn't adapt, that Madrid was too big for him... And Mbappé has proven to be the best player in the world".
The Frenchman scored a goal at the Etihad and capped off his great performance with a hat-trick at Santiago Bernabéu. Demonstrating that he has arrived at Real Madrid to be key and conquer the Champions League.
The Turning Point: A Missed Penalty
The criticism of Mbappé was intense in his first matches as a Madrid player. For Edu Aguirre, the turning point came at San Mamés, when the French forward missed a crucial penalty against Athletic Club. A penalty that was preceded by a miss at Anfield.
From that moment, the level of the '9' changed completely. "That's when the best version of Mbappé began. Since that miss, he has been an unstoppable player".
Ancelotti and the Key Adjustments
The other protagonist is on the bench. Aguirre highlighted Ancelotti's tactical adjustments as key in Madrid's comeback. "Carletto found the way to make this team play. He talked to Mbappé, Vinícius, and Rodrygo to get them involved defensively, and the results came".
With morale sky-high after eliminating City, Madrid now faces the round of 16 with full confidence. Their opponent will be either Atlético de Madrid or Bayer Leverkusen.
Mbappé and Ancelotti have shut many mouths. Now, they want to continue proving that Real Madrid remains the king of Europe.
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