'Real Madrid shirt is heavy' - Ancelotti wants more from Tchouameni and Camavinga

Aurélien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga failed to show the quality they picked up in training in Real Madrid's 2-1 win at Almeria on Sunday, according to coach Carlo Ancelotti.

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Madrid fell behind Largie Ramazani's opener at the Power Horse Stadium in their La Liga opener of the season, but they equalized thanks to Lucas Vazquez's 61st-minute strike.

They then sealed the three points 15 minutes from time when substitute David Alaba curled a sumptuous free-kick past Fernando Martinez from 25 yards with his first touch.

Tchouameni, who joined Monaco in June for a fee of up to €100m, and Camavinga started alongside Toni Kroos in midfield, but both struggled to make an impact.

Camavinga was replaced by Luka Modric at half-time, while Tchouameni didn't last an hour before being replaced by Eden Hazard.

Neither player has completed more than a single key pass – well below the four team records achieved by three other players – with Ancelotti suggesting the pressure of playing for such a prestigious club has affected the pair .

"For me, [Antonio] Rudiger played a good game," he told Movistar.

"The youngsters didn't play as usual. For what they do in training, they deserve to play. They didn't do anything wrong, but they can do better.

"They are young and the shirt is heavy. It is a toll we pay, but we pay it with pleasure.

"I removed Camavinga because he had a card and he could be a danger in a team that was playing on the break.

"It was normal to suffer, because we complicated the game with a defensive error. From there, it cost us dearly."

Hazard has endured a torrid time with injuries since joining Chelsea in July 2019, but the Belgium international will hope to play an important role this season.

Ancelotti is unsure where his best position will be, given Vinicius Junior's continued brilliance on the left of the front three, but the Italian expects him to feature regularly.

Asked about his best position, Ancelotti replied: "I don't know, I have to think about it. Hazard is a midfielder. You have to keep in mind that Vini likes the wing a lot.

"Today he tried to find a lot of right centre-back, where the spaces were very tight. Hazard when he arrived was good, he is training well and I think he will have minutes this season."