Manager acknowledges “tough four months for everyone” but praises duo for win in Seville
Alvaro Arbeloa says Real Madrid are “lucky” to have Vinicius and Kylian Mbappe after a sharp performance from both players in the 1-0 victory over Sevilla on Sunday.
Vinicius scored in the 15th minute as Madrid won the second game in a row since losing the La Liga title to Barcelona in the 2-0 clásico defeat two weeks ago.
“I’m very satisfied with all my players and their effort,” said Arbeloa. “It’s clear we’re very aware that we haven’t met our objectives and that we always want to improve.”
Vinicius and Mbappe have faced criticism this season as Madrid underperform, going trophyless for two seasons in a row while eternal rivals Barcelona have won five trophies in that time.
“I’ve been here for four months and I think they’ve both tried to give their best, each with their own difficulties,” Arbeloa said. “It’s been a tough four months for everyone, including them, but I think they’re two players any team in the world would want, and if they could, they would.
“They’re two of the five most game-changing players in the world, and Real Madrid is lucky to have them both. Today it was Vini’s turn to score a goal, but Kylian did a great job, and it’s a shame he couldn’t score one himself. Let’s see if he has better luck next weekend.”
Madrid will play their last game of the season against Athletic Club on Saturday. Arbeloa said: “It’s the last match, and surely a day of farewells for some players. We’ll have to try to play a great match in front of our fans, enjoy every minute in this shirt, and I will too.”
Madrid could be missing a few key players against Athletic Club. “Vini came off with some discomfort,” said Arbeloa. “Aurelien [Tchouameni] wasn’t 100% today either. Dean [Huijsen] had a knock. We’ll see how the week goes and if we can get them back for the weekend. If not, the youth players can help.”
