Carlo Ancelotti has praised new striker Joselu following his match winning goal against Real Sociedad on Sunday.
The ex-Stoke City and Newcastle United striker joined Madrid during the summer following an impressive four year spell in La Liga after leaving the Premier League - a period in which the Spaniard bagged double digits in four consecutive seasons.
Joselu has continued that goalscoring form since signing for Real Madrid, bagging his second La Liga goal of the season, and his most important for his new club to date, in the win over Real Sociedad at the newly-refurbished Santiago Bernabeu.
The 33-year-old popped up to head home a winning goal on the hour mark on Sunday evening, completing Madrid's comeback after they had gone behind within four minutes thanks to an Ander Barrenetxea goal.
Speaking to the press after the win, Ancelotti was keen to praise Joselu for providing "characteristics" that Madrid previously didn't have in their lineup.
" Joselu provides guarantees in attack because he plays very well with his back and face and is very dangerous in the opposing area. We know what he can contribute," the boss said.
"It's an important position because we don't have any player with these characteristics and in past years we didn't have someone like that."
Ancelotti also expressed his disappointment at Madrid going behind in a La Liga game for the third time in just five games this season: “We have to look at it, it’s true. At the start, we’ve conceded goals in three of the five games we’ve played, and gone behind in them. We have to prevent that from happening because it’s hard to get back into the game and you have to make more of an effort, as we saw today.
"In addition, it was against a side who play very good football. We managed to do it thanks to the commitment, energy and desire from the team, which has been a constant in all of these games. We’re capable of turning up the intensity to the point where our opponents find difficult to withstand for 90 minutes.”
Madrid will kick start their 2023/24 UEFA Champions League campaign on Wednesday evening when they face off against competition debutants Union Berlin.