REAL MADRID were supposed to be world beaters this year.

Ending last season as Spanish and European champions they – finally – added Kylian Mbappe, the star who had been in their sights for the past three years.

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But after back-to-back Bernabeu thumpings, first at the hands of Barcelona and then AC Milan, even Carlo Ancelotti appears to be scratching his head.

Speaking after the Milan humbling, their second defeat in four Champions League games, Ancelotti said: “What’s not so normal is that this team had a very good run and has fallen so fast.

“But that is part of football too: when you think everything is perfect, you fall.

“The reality is what was seen on the pitch. We have to be worried. We’re lacking something.”

On recent performances, lacking something appears to be quite the understatement – Don Carlo has a lot on his plate.

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MBAPPE

After years of flirting the French superstar finally arrived in the Spanish capital this summer, albeit off the back of a deflating Euro 2024.

He was supposed to be the final piece in an already impressive jigsaw but his arrival has caused more problems than it has solved.

Mbappe has eight goals in all competitions, six of which came in an impressive run of five games, but the forward has unsettled Ancelotti’s plan.

And his shot conversion rate as plummeted down from an average of 21 at Paris Saint-Germain to just 11.42 at Madrid.

Against Barcelona, his first taste of a fixture he will have played over in his head time and again over the years, things went badly wrong.

The forward was caught offside a shocking eight times – more than any player in one game across Europe’s top league for eight years.

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But merely pinning the problems on his arrival could be misleading.

Spanish football expert and pundit, Terry Gibson, told SunSport: “People couldn’t be more wrong.

“He is an easy target, there are loads of reasons why they are faltering.

“He suffered at the start before he scored a goal, but got going and his goalscoring record is good.

“He has moved to a new club, league and position but he is working hard and is a constant threat.

“There are other reasons Real Madrid are struggling.

“It has made it complicated for Ancelotti to find a way of playing but he has failed so far this year to find a system.”

Madrid already trail LaLiga leaders Barcelona by nine points and are in the bottom half of the Champions League table.

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BELLINGHAM

Another who looks a touch lost is last season’s boy wonder, Jude Bellingham.

By this time last year, 14 games into his debut season at Madrid, Bellingham had 13 goals.

The England star is still waiting for his first of the campaign.

Fatigue over the summer with the Three Lions spilled into injury at the start of this season, with the 21-year-old missing four games.

But even when fit he looks well off his best, shunted around by Ancelotti as the Italian struggles to find a role for last season’s talisman.

During the summer Ancelotti insisted Mbappe and Bellingham would gel just fine, stating the best players can adapt to any situation.

But neither look happy and the Englishman booted a water bottle after being hooked against Milan midweek.

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Thierry Henry leaped to his defence, detailing just how Mbappe’s languid form was hurting Bellingham.

Speaking on CBS, he said: “It’s always Bellingham trying to make the run, trying to make the team play, running in behind, trying to break the line.

“I think there is a little frustration. Your nine isn’t going, and your 10-ish is going. I know it can happen sometimes but not all the time. Every single time.

“He’ll do it because he has to do it, because his desire speaks, his will speaks.

“You don’t win games like that. You don’t win games with your 10 breaking the line, coming back, trying to bend his run, trying to defend, trying to go the other side. And then after, he gets substituted?

“I would have been upset too.”

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MIDFIELD MESS

Due to injuries and absences, with Luka Modric also on the wane, Ancelotti has failed to settle on any sort of structure in the middle.

Dani Carvajal’s injury at right-back means the likes of Bellingham are having to be re-shuffled to cover rather than played in his best position.

Aurelien Tchouameni, part of the succession plan to replace Modric, Toni Kroos and Casemiro, was whistled off in midweek and is fast becoming a scapegoat.

Gibson said: “There is enough there for Ancelotti. It should be Tchouameni, Camavinga and Valverde and Bellingham at the tip of the diamond and then Vini and Mbappe.

“They have to go and get a right-back in January, they won’t win things this year without a right-back.

“They got away with this last year because they had Nacho. He has left and no one else came in.”

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ANCELOTTI QUESTIONED

He may be the best of the best when it comes to managers in Europe in recent years, but at Real Madrid no one is above criticism.

There are already rumours swirling of a return for Zinedine Zidane, while fans will cast eyes towards Xabi Alonso working wonders at Bayer Leverkusen.

Gibson said: “I am looking at him and thinking he is changing players and formations. It looks really untidy at the moment. It looks like a group of players making it up as they go along.

“Zidane coming back would be a popular choice. It would be classic Real Madrid.

“I am not saying he should get the sack or leave but there is a big clamour now for Ancelotti to go.

“They have got a weird squad. There are superstars all over the place but they lack depth. They got away with it last season.”

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BEHIND THE SCENES

It is not just on the pitch where things look askew.

The hierarchy’s tantrum over Rodri‘s Ballon d’Or win, with the club boycotting the ceremony in Paris once it became clear Vinicius would not walk away with the prize, exposed an unhappy camp.

That petulance is seeping down to the dressing room too. Ancelotti has insisted there is a “healthy” atmosphere within the squad.

But the wife of midfielder Fede Valverde recently broke cover, ranting on social media and asking: “When are they going to understand once and for all that Fede is not a winger?”

She then claimed the account had been hacked.

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SUMMER

Like all big clubs in Europe, Real Madrid spent most of the summer without their key players.

Madrid went on tour to America, where by the end some of the senior players who did travel out were completely fed up – ready to go home.

Ancelotti’s squad was packed with youth but those talents have hardly been seen yet.

Endrick,18, and Arda Guler, 19, have had limited time on the pitch which, in comparison to rivals Barcelona, is a touch embarrassing.

Hansi Flick took a flock of La Masia graduates on their summer tour and has embedded them into the team rather than dropping them back down.

Gibson said: “One of the criticisms of Ancelotti is he doesn’t use young players.

“Endrick could play centre-forward but that is not being done apart from when he is off the bench, which isn’t often enough.

“Guler had a fantastic Euros but hasn’t had a look in.”

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It was in Brandon Royval’s best interest for Brandon Moreno to beat Amir Albazi.

Former champion Moreno (22-8-2 MMA, 10-5-2 UFC) returned in peak form when he battered a tough Albazi (17-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) for five rounds in this past Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 246 main event in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Considering that Royval’s past two wins have come against Moreno then formerly unbeaten Tatsuro Taira in a Fight of the Night effort, the 32-year-old thinks he just became the clear-cut No. 1 contender.

“I think the only thing that it cleared up completely was that I’m next for the title shot,” Royval told MMA Junkie. “I think that’s what it did. It just cleared the way for me and keep everything going. I thought he (Moreno) looked sick. I had such a good time watching him. I liked the look in his eye when he walked out. The moment he walked out, I was like, ‘All right, cool, this is what I want to see: a pissed-off Brandon Moreno ready to go.’

“And he fought with a f*cking attitude and chip on his shoulder, and I loved that. I really, in my head, just think the flyweight division – I feel we get a lot of criticism of because the top three, top four guys are just clearing out everybody and just kind of staying in the top three, top four, but I feel like the flyweight division has been more exciting than it’s ever been.”

Royval (17-7 MMA, 7-3 UFC) won’t immediately get his wish. He has to wait for flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja to defend his title against ex-RIZIN champion Kai Asakura on Dec. 7 at UFC 310 – but he expects to face the winner.

“If they’re not going to bring anybody in, and it’s between me, Moreno and Kai Kara-France, it’s definitely me,” Royval said. “I feel like that’s the only thing that makes sense. Moreno and Kai Kara-France have some sick wins against some sick opponents, and they did a great job. But that being said, I have a win over both those guys, and I think if it’s between us three, it’s me.”

Royval has no issue with newcomer Asakura getting a title shot in his UFC debut. In fact, after fighting both Moreno and Pantoja twice, he could use a new face.

“I’m a fan of it,” Royval said on Asakura’s addition. “I want fresh blood, too. We’re talking about three rematches as a possibility. Like, I could fight Kai Kara-France next, Brandon Moreno, and Pantoja next, and the only one I’m ready to go do is fight Pantoja next. If Kai Asakura wins that belt, I think that’s going to be one of the better fights of the year. Me and Kai Asakura are both guys who bring fights.”

England interim manager Lee Carsley has handed first call-ups to Southampton defender Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Newcastle United full-back Lewis Hall for this month’s Nations League fixtures.

The pair could make their national debuts for the Three Lions as they prepare to face Greece on 14 November and Republic of Ireland on 17 November.

Manchester City defender John Stones is a notable absentee, while Jack Grealish is included despite missing City’s last five matches through injury.

Chelsea winger Cole Palmer has been selected, despite being an injury doubt for Sunday’s Premier League match against Arsenal.

Southampton’s Aaron Ramsdale has been included ahead of Newcastle goalkeeper Nick Pope, while Manchester United duo Kobbie Mainoo and Harry Maguire miss out through injury.

It is Carsley’s final England squad as interim manager before Thomas Tuchel takes charge on a full-time basis.

Jones represented Team GB at Paris Olympics during the summer and was due to link up with England side ahead of their WXV campaign when her father passed away.

An ankle injury, which required surgery, ruled her out of international action and sidelined her for the start of the league season with Tigers.

“It’s always tough missing out on games, but personally it came at a really good time for me,” she added.

“I’d just finished at the Olympics and my dad sadly passed away four days before I went back into the Red Roses camp.

“It came at a good time for me because it meant I could really process the grief and I could have time to myself and be home with family.”

Jones said she came to “value the rugby community” around her more than ever as she grieved, and said the loss has given her a new perspective.

“As sports people our results define us, how we perform defines us, but truth be told our health, our friendships and connections are more important than the game itself,” Jones said.

BKFC champion Kai Stewart wasn’t necessarily looking for a fight against fellow Montana native Sean O’Malley, but now he actually likes that idea.

As he prepares to defend his title on home soil against UFC veteran Jimmie Rivera on Saturday, Stewart addressed his beef with O’Malley, which dates back to UFC 292, the night that the flamboyant Contender Series veteran first captured the bantamweight championship. It was an odd interaction when O’Malley was asked about the rise of combat sports in Montana and when Stewart’s name was mentioned, he responded by saying “that kid sucks … he’s in my DMs talking shit, I don’t even know this kid.”

It turns out the direct message was from four years ago but apparently O’Malley never forgot.

“So the DM in question was from 2020, this was 2023 when he beat [Aljamain Sterling],” Stewart told MMA Fighting. “It’s from 2020, he posted something about wrestlers and one of my really good friends is Myles Mazurkiewicz, if you type that name versus Sean O’Malley on YouTube, you’ll see what happens.

“My only negative DM to him was, ‘What about Myles Mazurkiewicz, the only wrestler you’ve ever faced?’ Apparently that stuck because three years down the road he hit me with that.”

The fight in question came when O’Malley was still an amateur and he suffered a loss to Mazurkiewicz, was a standout wrestler at the University of Providence in Montana. Stewart says that was the only private message he ever sent to O’Malley and that seemingly innocuous interaction led to some ill feelings between them.

In addition to that incident, Stewart revealed he also received an opportunity from O’Malley’s team to face off with one of his training partners with the now-former UFC champion offering up a bonus to make the fight happen. While Stewart does have a pro MMA bout on his résumé, he’s now a reigning and defending BKFC champion and he has no plans to burn the promotion by trying to pursue a grudge match against one of O’Malley’s boys.

“They said, ‘Sean O’Malley will give you $20,000 if you can sign up and fight against our guy and win,’” Stewart said. “I was like obviously I’m not giving up my world title to fight a 1-0 pro fighter in MMA. Absolutely not. It’s just little things like that. They’re just trying real hard to see a downfall in me because I think they’re just scared that I’m coming, especially after that Merab [Dvalishvili] fight.”

Despite the simmering bad blood between them, Stewart says he still openly roots for O’Malley whenever he competes because he always wants to show support to his fellow fighters from Montana.

“I’ve rooted for him every single fight,” Stewart said. “People said Merab was just going to do what he did to O’Malley and I thought it was possible but also I saw how chinny Merab is. If I was going to put my money down on the fight, I would probably put my money on Sean. That’s what I was telling people. Sean is a sniper. Then Merab went out and did that.

“I still supported him through everything because Montana to the moon. But eventually the forces are going to clash and it’s going to be good. If there’s any beef, it’s the Montana way, let’s just take care of it.”

It might seem impossible to imagine a fight between Stewart and O’Malley considering they don’t compete in the same promotion much less the same sport. That said, Stewart knows new BKFC owner Conor McGregor has already pitched the idea of doing crossover fights with the UFC and he doesn’t rule out the possibility that a showdown against O’Malley could actually happen one day.

“Conor posted recently about doing crossovers with Dana [White], Conor is still super marketed through the UFC, he’s in every commercial that they have so that holds weight,” Stewart said. “I definitely slid up and hopefully we can get that fight set up one day no matter where we do it.

“I’m leaving the door open. I’m in the position where I’m willing to go to 135. I’m willing to go to MMA. I’m willing to do it in bare-knuckle. I’m willing to do it at 145. I’m willing to do it at a catchweight. The ball is entirely and literally in O’Malley’s court. That’s what I wanted. As long as I remain king of BKFC, it’s way more likely we can get a fatter payday over here than we could over there.”

Stewart maintains he really doesn’t have anything against O’Malley but he also loves the idea of two top fighters from Montana squaring off to settle whatever beef exists between them.

“If there’s any beef, it’s the Montana way, let’s just take care of it,” Stewart said. “I will fight O’Malley in MMA, bare knuckle, we can do whatever he wants. I’m going to take it home.”

CHARLTON ATHLETIC have been offered two potential sites for a new stadium – as they face the prospect of being turfed out of The Valley.

The League One side has called the iconic stadium home for over 100 years.

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Belgian businessman Roland Duchatelet, the club’s controversial former owner, currently owns The Valley.

Charlton signed a 15-year stadium lease with Duchatelet when he still had control of the club.

He sold the Addicks to East Street Investments in 2020.

Last year the club changed hands again, with Global Football Partners now in charge in East London.

The current ownership group are looking to renegotiate the terms of the lease, which has 11 years remaining.

According to City AM, the club have held “positive talks” with Duchatelet, with an eventual view to buying the ground outright.

But should any deal not materialise, Charlton could be forced to move out of The Valley within the next decade.

The club has been offered two potential sites for a new stadium on the Thames by property developers.

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The City AM report claims a new stadium is “projected to cost at least £100m.”

A Charlton spokesperson said: “The Valley is the home of Charlton Athletic and the club have no plans to leave the stadium.

“We have a medium-term lease on the stadium and our only interest is securing the club’s long-term tenure at The Valley.”

Charlton currently sit 12th in League One with 19 points from their opening 13 games.

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Boss Nathan Jones is looking to get the Addicks back into the second tier for the first time since 2020.

Charlton enjoyed a seven-season spell in the Premier League between 2000 and 2008.

They subsequently have bounced between the Championship and League One, with ownership issues dominating the clubs past few years.