Carlo Ancelotti has come to Jude Bellingham's defense, asserting that the contributions he makes to Real Madrid this season are "more important" than simply finding the back of the net.
Bellingham has yet to score in his nine appearances for Madrid this season, a stark contrast to the 23 goals he netted in all competitions during the previous campaign.
The role of the England midfielder has shifted since Kylian Mbappé joined the team, as he started on the right side of the attack during Madrid's 2-1 victory at Celta Vigo on Saturday.
"We're satisfied with his work, I'm very satisfied," Ancelotti remarked at a press conference on Monday, prior to Madrid's Champions League match against Borussia Dortmund. "He works a lot, he's always present, he competes, he fights, he sacrifices himself.
"It's true he hasn't scored the goals he scored last year, but the surprise isn't this year; the surprise was last year when he scored many goals that nobody expected and helped us a lot. The problem this year isn't that we're lacking Bellingham's goals.
"We've always scored goals, and we'll always score because we have talented players up front. For us, at this moment, the work he's doing is more important than the goals he scored last year."
Madrid is set to face Barcelona in LaLiga's El Clásico on Saturday, sitting three points behind the league leaders.
Mbappé found the net against Celta and has accumulated six league goals this season. Ancelotti expressed that he is unfazed by any criticism regarding the French international's off-the-ball work.
"[I ask him] to score goals," Ancelotti stated. "I prefer him to score goals rather than pressing. The center-forward role hasn't changed for us; I ask the same of Mbappé that I asked Karim [Benzema]: to be ready when we win the ball and try to make a fast transition."
Bayern Munich, under the guidance of head coach Vincent Kompany, secured a 2-1 victory over Celtic in their Champions League playoff first leg at Celtic Park.
The match saw Michael Olise open the scoring with a stunning strike just before halftime, followed by Harry Kane doubling the lead early in the second half with a volley from a Joshua Kimmich corner.
Despite Bayern controlling 70% possession in the first half, Celtic's disciplined defense kept them at bay until Olise's breakthrough.
Celtic's Nicolas Kühn had an early effort ruled offside, and Daizen Maeda later reduced the deficit with a close-range header in the 79th minute.
Celtic pressured Bayern in the final stages, but Bayern's defense, including a crucial late save from goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, preserved their lead.
Reflecting on the performance, Kompany stated, "Celtic pushed us to the limit in the final minutes, but our squad showed great composure under pressure. These are the moments that define top teams."
Celtic, backed by a passionate home crowd, displayed determination and intensity as they fought to find an equalizer.
The Scottish club came close on multiple occasions, forcing Bayern's defense into crucial interventions.
Despite the loss, Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers took positives from his team’s performance, saying, "I'm incredibly proud of the fight we showed. We went toe-to-toe with one of Europe's best, and on another night, we could have taken something from the game."
With this result, Bayern holds a narrow advantage heading into the second leg in Munich, while Celtic faces the challenge of overturning the deficit to keep their Champions League aspirations alive.
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