The poor performances continue for Kylian Mbappé, author of a new transparent match against Liverpool (0-2) on Wednesday in the Champions League and in total loss of bearings for several weeks with Real Madrid. A malaise which continues on the pitch and raises questions about the personal situation of the French international, supported by his club but increasingly criticized in the Spanish capital.
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Kylian Mbappé’s slump drags on. In poor form for several weeks, the Real Madrid star striker once again got through his match during the defeat of the Madrilenians against Liverpool (0-2)Wednesday evening in the Champions League. Highly anticipated on the left wing in the absence of the Brazilian Vinicius Júnior, the Frenchman never managed to impact the match and was completely muzzled by the young Conor Bradley, 21, who notably distinguished himself with a superb sliding tackle during one of the Madrid striker’s rare sharp breakthroughs. Mbappé’s evening then took on the appearance of an ordeal when he missed the equalizing ball on a penalty (61st) against Kelleher, pushing him a little further into sporting and psychological doubt.
At the final whistle, Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti obviously came to his aid, while recognizing that his player was going through a complicated period at the moment: “ When you are a striker you want to score and have confidence. I think that for Mbappé, it is a difficult moment. We will support him and give him love “.
“ It was a very important moment in the match, but these things happen. He’s a wonderful player, but the pressure around him because of his talent is enormous. The penalty is not the reason for our defeat. Kylian can hold his head high. I am convinced that he will produce moments of history for this club “, also declared his teammate Jude Bellingham. Reigning European champions, the Madrilenians currently have three defeats in five days of competition and are in 24th place in the C1 rankings, the last qualifier to reach the play-offs for the 16th finals.
“ An unrecognizable footballer » according to the newspaper Marca
But the image of the evening was that of his disjointed fall with his head upside down on the pitch after a duel with Dutch defender Virgil van Dijk. A photo widely taken up by the Spanish press, very critical of the Frenchman after his new failed performance (only one shot on target, 15 lost balls and six duels out of 13 won).
“ It is obvious that Kylian Mbappé today is not even a shadow of the player he has been in recent years. Things don’t go the way he wants and the crisis of confidence he suffers from devours him until he becomes an unrecognizable footballer. », writes the Madrid newspaper Marca. “ He came for these kinds of evenings. (…) And he didn’t show up. He was not a leader, he did not shine. He was not Vinicius and continues not to be Mbappé », asserts for its part the daily A.S.which awarded it the extremely rare score of 1/10.
After a transparent Euro, an absence from the French team during the October and November meetings which raise questions and a difficult adaptation to Real Madrid, Kylian Mbappé’s discomfort seems to be lasting more and more. If his coach in the Spanish capital mentions “ patience ” as ” only remedy » to the evil which is currently gnawing at him, things could however quickly change in Madrid, a club where competition is fierce and where Ancelotti himself already seems to be in the hot seat.