Carlo Ancelotti praised Real Madrid’s stellar 5-1 victory against Valencia as their top performance of the season. He also announced that Jude Bellingham will not participate in England’s duties.
Real Madrid’s early goal by Dani Carvajal was followed by impressive braces from both Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo, securing a commanding win.
This triumph brought them within two points of the unexpected league leaders, Girona.Despite a late consolation goal from Hugo Duro, Ancelotti was thrilled with his team’s overall performance, making it an enjoyable night for the Real Madrid camp.
The Italian said: “Was it our best performance? Yes.
“Valencia haven’t shown their best because we played a very good game, the first 15 minutes we could have defended better but from there the game was perfect.
“Vinicius and Rodrygo both did very well, as part of the wider team who all played very well.
“I don’t like to assess on an individual level but as a team they did a splendid job.”
Ancelotti must have been particularly delighted with the lopsided win, considering the absence of their star player, Bellingham, who suffered a dislocated shoulder last week.
Despite the injury, the 20-year-old is slated to join Gareth Southgate’s Three Lions next week. Nonetheless, his club manager anticipates a swift return to Spain for him.
The 64-year-old tactician said: “Bellingham will go, yes, to be evaluated and he’ll come back after that, because he hasn’t played today.
“He is doing specific work to strengthen his shoulder over the next few weeks but he will be back to playing after that.”
Since his arrival at Madrid from Borussia Dortmund in June for an initial £88.5 million, Bellingham has had a remarkable beginning in Spain.
His 13 goals in 14 appearances across LaLiga and the Champions League have broken numerous records. Additionally, he contributed two assists for his country against Italy last month.
Despite being a favorite at the Bernabeu, he appears likely to join Tottenham midfielder James Maddison and Newcastle striker Callum Wilson on the injury list, missing England’s upcoming matches against Malta and North Macedonia.