‘He has the quality to reach his numbers, but he has to work, because Cristiano set the bar very high, but he is so excited to play here, he can reach Cristiano’s level,’ says Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti.
IMAGE: Real Madrid’s hat-trick hero Kylian Mbappe celebrates after the Champions League Knock-out phase play-off second leg against Manchester City while holding the match ball, at Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain, on Wednesday. Photograph: Susana Vera/Reuters
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti heaped praise on his striker Kylian Mbappe after he scored a hat-trick in a 3-1 win over Manchester City on Wednesday that took the Champions League holders into the last 16.
Ancelotti said Mbappe had the potential to reach the same level as club great Cristiano Ronaldo, who is Real’s all-time leading scorer with 451 goals in 438 games for the 15-times Champions League winners.
“He has the quality to reach his numbers, but he has to work, because Cristiano set the bar very high, but he is so excited to play here, he can reach Cristiano’s level,” Ancelotti told a press conference.
“Everyone was waiting for this hat-trick from him and it has finally arrived. But Mbappe is not the only one, we have many players who make a difference. And they make a difference with their collective work above their individual quality which is remarkable.”
IMAGE: Kylian Mbappe gets a hug from Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti after being substituted during the match. Photograph: Violeta Santos Moura/Reuters
Ancelotti lamented that his side had to go through the pain of the knock-out round but said that they were to blame after a slow start to the campaign that caused them to finish outside the top eight in the league standings
The holders will face Bayer Leverkusen or city rivals Atletico Madrid, depending on Friday’s draw, as they seek a record-extending 16th title.
“It’s not positive at all having to go through the knock-out because we had to play 10 games to get to the last 16,” Ancelotti said.
“We’re not coming out of a difficult period, we’re entering one because this is when the real season starts. There is no way to stop, to rest. But on an emotional level, sure, this tie has been good for us. Let’s keep rolling.”
