Kylian Mbappe or Vinicius Junior? Carlo Ancelotti Opens Up on Who Takes Penalties at Madrid

• Carlo Ancelotti has addressed questions on who will take Real Madrid's penalties between Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior
• The veteran Italian manager saw his side rue another costly penalty miss in their 2-1 defeat to Valencia
• He would hope such an incident doesn't rear its ugly head when Madrid faces Arsenal in the Champions League

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Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti has once again found himself addressing the ever-present question surrounding the club’s designated penalty taker, following another costly miss—this time by Vinicius Junior.

The latest chapter in Madrid's spot-kick struggles unfolded at the Santiago Bernabéu, where Los Blancos suffered a 2-1 setback against Valencia.

In a match that carried significant implications for the title race, Vinicius saw his early penalty attempt parried away by Los Che goalkeeper Giorgio Mamardashvili.

The miss proved pivotal, as the visitors swiftly capitalised on Madrid’s wastefulness through Mouctar Diakhaby, who broke the deadlock just minutes later.

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After the interval, the Brazilian winger atoned in part by restoring parity with a composed finish, per beIN Sports.

However, Real’s fightback was undone deep into stoppage time, as Hugo Duro delivered a clinical finish to grab all three points for Valencia—dealing a major blow to Madrid’s La Liga ambitions.

The result leaves the capital giants trailing leaders FC Barcelona by three points, with the Catalans yet to taste defeat in 2025 and building formidable momentum.

With domestic and continental ambitions hanging in the balance, the defeat not only complicates Madrid’s pursuit of the league crown but also dents any remaining hopes of securing a treble.

Mbappé or Vinicius? Ancelotti chooses Madrid's penalty taker

Central to the post-match inquest was the penalty dilemma, heightened by Vinicius' second miss of the campaign—his earlier miss came in the high-stakes clash against Atlético Madrid.

Ancelotti, when questioned once more on who holds the responsibility from 12 yards, offered clarity while expressing empathy for his players.

"Penalties? It's been a difficult season, Bellingham missed, Mbappé missed, Vinicius missed... I wanted to give him some confidence," the Italian tactician explained during his press conference, as shared by MadridXtra on X.

Pressed further on whether Kylian Mbappé would now assume full-time duties from the spot, Ancelotti remained non-committal:

"Mbappé as main penalty taker? We will see."

Beyond the spot-kick issue, the veteran manager shifted focus to the broader performance.

While he applauded the attacking intent and chance creation, Ancelotti was clearly dissatisfied with the defensive lapses that allowed Valencia to score twice.

"We created many chances, we were good in attack. We could have been better in defense," he admitted, acknowledging both the positives and areas requiring urgent attention.

Still, the 65-year-old believed the outcome didn’t reflect the flow of the match:

"We lost this game on small details. Real Madrid deserved to win without doubts. This wasn't a deserved loss."

With the league campaign now slipping out of their grasp, Ancelotti’s attention turns to Europe.

His side must regroup swiftly as they prepare for a high-stakes UEFA Champions League quarter-final showdown against Premier League outfit Arsenal on Tuesday, April 8, in North London.

Vinicius faces backlash after penalty miss

In a related update, YEN.com.gh highlighted the backlash Vinicius Junior faced online after missing yet another penalty.

The Brazilian forward drew criticism from fans on X (formerly Twitter), who questioned why he was entrusted with the spot-kick ahead of more reliable options.

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Source: YEN.com.gh