Madrid vs. Pachuca's Intercontinental Cup Final Starting Lineup Unveiled by Ancelotti: Prepare for a Shocking Reveal
Carlo Ancelotti's chosen lineup for the Intercontinental Cup clash on Wednesday against Pachuca holds an unforeseen twist.
Following a series of challenges post his move from Paris Saint-Germain on a big-profile free transfer during the summer, Kylian Mbappe had been gradually picking up form.
After Ancelotti acknowledged that Mbappe's performance hadn't reached his "peak level" following a 2-1 loss to Athletic Club in San Mames two weeks ago, the Frenchman retaliated by netting essential goals against Girona (3-0) and Atalanta (3-2) in subsequent victories.
Mbappe registered the opener within the initial ten minutes during Atalanta's defeat at Bergamo, but he requested to be substituted after quarter of an hour.
Later on, Madrid disclosed an injury to the Ballon d'Or contender, and although Mbappe sat out the thrilling 3-3 draw against Rayo Vallecano on Saturday night, he had been anticipated to participate at the very least in the Qatar-bound Intercontinental Cup final reintroduction.
An unexpected development emerged when Mbappe found a spot in the starting XI on the front line, with Vinicius Jr., who had won The Best, and Rodrygo on his left and right.
Ancelotti will strategize with this setup, with Eduardo Camavinga serving as a solitary pivot, offering support to advanced midfielders Jude Bellingham and Fede Valverde.
Affected by Ferland Mendy's injury, Fran Garcia steps in as the left back, while Lucas Vazquez guards the opposite defensive flank.
The defensive duo of Aurelien Tchouameni and Toni Rudiger contains the central back position, which unfortunately saw no room for emerging star Raul Asencio to protect Thibaut Courtois' goal.
At a pre-match press conference that required addressing an inquiry about potential loss of control over his players, Ancelotti underlined that Madrid arrives at the Intercontinental Cup final "more energetic" than before and "improved substantially" compared to a month ago.
"It's an exceptional match, a special final. We're incredibly excited," he declared about the confrontation against Mexican opposition, which serves as a kind of prelude to the redesigned Club World Cup scheduled to take place in the United States this summer.
Real Madrid Lineup vs. Pachuca: Courtois; Fran, Rudiger, Tchouameni, Vazquez; Camavinga, Valverde, Bellingham; Vinicius, Mbappe, Rodrygo
- Despite his recent injury, Kylian Mbappe makes a surprise appearance in the starting lineup for Real Madrid against Pachuca in the Intercontinental Cup.
- In the anticipated lineup, Vinicius Jr., who recently won The Best, and Rodrygo will join Mbappe on the forward line.
- Carlo Ancelotti has chosen to deploy Eduardo Camavinga as a pivot, supporting advanced midfielders Jude Bellingham and Fede Valverde in the midfield.
- With Ferland Mendy out due to injury, Fran Garcia will take his place at left back, while Lucas Vazquez will defend on the right side.
