Ancelotti's second-string players proved they were up to the task as they secured three points for Real and kept them on course for the inevitable LaLiga title celebrations.
Real Madrid won the Club World Cup for a record extending fifth time after beating Saudi Arabia's Al Hilal 5-3 in the final on Saturday.
IMAGES from UEFA Champions League matches played on Tuesday
Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti is looking for a big improvement from his side when they play their first home game of the LaLiga season, against Valladolid on Sunday, with Kylian Mbappe making his Santiago Bernabeu debut
'This victory is for him. I hope that everything goes well, that he can get out of this situation and we can be champions for him.'
IMAGES from the UEFA Champions League matches played on Wednesday
Kevin De Bruyne netted a stunning equaliser with a rasping low strike to give Manchester City a 1-1 draw against Real Madrid
Serbia goalkeeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic denied Brazil's potent strike force on several occasions in a goalless first half of their World Cup Group G match on Thursday.
Karim Benzema and Vinicius Jr. scored in extra time as Real Madrid fought back to beat local rivals Atletico 3-1 and reach the Copa del Rey semi-finals.
IMAGES from football matches played across European leagues on Saturday
Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich powered past third-placed Eintracht Frankfurt 4-0 with an impressive display of high-pressing football on Sunday.
Now, with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo venturing into smaller leagues as they near the end of their brilliant careers, 2024 may finally be the year for the next in line in football royalty.
Kylian Mbappe was in inspired form, scoring twice to guide Real Madrid to a comeback 4-1 win over visitors Las Palmas on Sunday.
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti said on Saturday he is happy with how new signing Kylian Mbappe is settling into life with the Spanish soccer giants and he has no concerns about his team's slow start to the LaLiga season.
A summary of Saturday's action in the LaLiga, Serie A and Bundesliga.
Real Madrid had courted Mbappe in the past but failed to land the player, who signed a contract extension with PSG in May 2022 when the Spanish club had a bid rejected.
Barcelona were crowned Spanish Super Cup champions after goals from Gavi, Robert Lewandowski and Pedri earned them a 3-1 win over bitter rivals Real Madrid in Saudi Arabia on Sunday.
This sets up Real Madrid final against Borussia Dortmund, who knocked out Paris Saint-Germain in the other semi-final.
Ancelotti still hoping Real can claim top-eight finish in Champions League
'We have some of the players that call the biggest media attention in the world so we take it naturally, it's our dream winning a World Cup. Pressure is inevitable.'
Real Madrid's resurgent La Liga run skidded to a halt as they fell to a shock 2-1 defeat at home by struggling Girona on Sunday in which captain Sergio Ramos was sent off in added time, leaving them nine points adrift of leaders Barcelona.
Atletico Madrid have recorded five COVID-19 positives, including manager Diego Simeone
Real Madrid thrashed arch-rivals and league leaders Barcelona 4-0 to reach the Copa del Rey final
Vinicius Jr came off the bench to score once and set up another goal to steer champions Real Madrid to a 4-1 fightback victory over Espanyol.
Juventus climb to top of Serie A with win over Lecce
Real Madrid through to next round, win 6-2 on aggregate, Liverpool ousted
The answer came in an impressive 2-0 victory over a strong and organised Serbia team who did not make it easy for Brazil and frustrated them in a goalless first half.
IMAGES from the El Clasico match played at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid on Sunday.
A stand-out talent from a young age, Endrick scored 170 goals in 176 matches for Palmeiras' academy.
Named in the Brazil squad for the upcoming FIFA Under-17 World Cup, wonderkid Vinicius Junior is set to become the most expensive footballer ever to play in a competitive tournament in India.
The 33-year-old centre back Lovren has faced Neymar on three occasions and lost every time, with the unstoppable Brazilian scoring four goals against him.
IMAGES from the UEFA Champions League matches played on Tuesday.
"We, those who play in the back end, often joke that we feel sorry for our rivals because we can replace Raphinha for Antony, Richalison for Gabriel Jesus. We have Rodrygo, Gabriel Martinelli."
A major surprise in the 2024 Google search trends was the absence of iconic names like Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, M S Dhoni, and Virat Kohli from the list of the top 10 most-searched athletes.
IMAGES from football matches played across Europe on Wednesday.
A stunning overhead kick by Eduard Bello helped Venezuela hold Brazil to a 1-1 draw in their 2026 World Cup qualifier on Thursday.
Ajax, four-times European Cup winners who are in the knockout stages for the first time in 13 years, have enhanced their reputation as a talent factory due to the rise of homegrown Dutch players Frenkie de Jong and Matthijs de Ligt.
Argentina's Di Maria to quit internationals after Copa America
Villarreal fought back to shock Barcelona 3-2 on Sunday, handing the LaLiga champions their first league defeat since late December.
Brazil shocked and other big upsets at World Cup qualifiers played on Tuesday
