MADRID: Carlo Ancelotti heaped praises on Kylian Mbappe, who produced a stunning display at the Santiago Bernabeu with a hat-trick to guide Real Madrid into the Champions League last 16, and said the star forward has qualities to match the greatness of Cristiano Ronaldo.
Riding on Mbappe's hat trick, Real Madrid eased into the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League on Thursday (IST) after a 3-1 win over Manchester City in the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, securing a 6-3 aggregate win after last week's 3-2 victory in Manchester.
Real Madrid manager Ancelotti was full of praise for his star striker, even drawing comparisons to club legend Ronaldo, who remains Real’s all-time leading scorer with an astonishing 451 goals in 438 games.
“He has the quality to reach Cristiano Ronaldo's level, but he has to work hard because Cristiano Ronaldo set the bar very high. Because of the quality and the desire he has, he can reach Cristiano Ronaldo's level, but it's not going to be that easy for him. He has to work hard, " Ancelotti said in a press conference.
Mbappe, who was also named MVP of the match for a stunning show, downplayed individual accolades, making it clear that his ultimate goal is winning trophies rather than chasing personal records.
"I didn't want to come here to perform badly. I want to play well, to mark an era, and to write history at Real Madrid. The adaptation period is over, and I have to play with personality. I have no limits, but the most important thing is to win trophies. I've scored goals in my career, but I haven't won many trophies. It is in my blood to score a lot of goals and win many trophies, " Mbappe said.
With Real Madrid now waiting for Friday’s draw, they could face either Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen or city rivals Atletico Madrid in the next round. While both teams present formidable challenges, Mbappe made it clear which opponent he would prefer.
"Atletico and Bayer Leverkusen are two top teams and very difficult opponents. For me, it's better for us to play Atletico because then we don't have to travel. Both will be difficult, but Atletico would be tough without travelling.”