Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti is not concerned by midfielder Jude Bellingham's lack of goals this season, despite being pilloried by the Spanish press for it.
Bellingham, 21, enjoyed a stunning debut campaign at the Bernabeu in 2023-24 after his blockbuster move from Borussia Dortmund for an initial £88.5million fee.
The English star netted 23 goals and added 13 assists in just 42 matches as Real won LaLiga, the Champions League and the Spanish Super Cup.
However, Bellingham is yet to open his account this time around, with the midfielder having failed to score in nine matches in 2024-25, plus the final two games of 2023-24 – and the 21-year-old has subsequently been called out by Spanish paper Marca.
Ancelotti has regardless said Bellingham fulfils an important role within his team's current set-up and that he's 'very satisfied' with his work.
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has launched a robust defence of Jude Bellingham
Bellingham, 21, has been criticised by Spanish press for his lack of goals this season
Ancelotti offered words of support to Bellingham, saying 'he's very satisfied' with his work
At the same point last season, Bellingham had 10 goals and Marca labelled the midfielder as 'going from 10 to zero in a year'.
'We're satisfied with his work, I'm very satisfied,' Ancelotti told press. '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 lots of goals which 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, in this moment, the work he's doing is more important than the goals the scored last year.'
Ancelotti also offered a robust defence of star forward Kylian Mbappe's gameplay, who similarly drew criticism from press for his lack of involvement off the ball, and in general play.
'[I ask him] to score goals. I prefer him to score goals rather than pressing,' Ancelotti said.
'The centre forward role hasn't changed for us, I ask the same of Mbappe that I asked Karim [Benzema], to be ready when we win the ball, and try to make a fast transition.'
The 65-year-old Italian was keen to impress that his team still aren't performing to their best this season, and fans can expect improvements.
Bellingham has not scored a goal so far this season, after scoring 23 in all competition in his maiden year at the Bernabeu
Ancelotti also deflected criticism of Kylian Mbappe saying he's happy with his team play
'We aren't 100%, obviously,' he said. 'We've got good results, but we have to improve in terms of our play, and little by little, we will... We have to defend better, as we did last year.
'Right now the team is less solid, and we're working on that.'