It’s safe to say that Kylian Mbappé’s start to life at Real Madrid has not been what the Spanish giants, but also the French international, imagined this summer. After 11 appearances in all competitions for Los Blancos following his arrival as a free agent from Paris Saint-Germain, the 25-year-old has eight goals and two assists to his name.
Although it is arguably still not terrible, it is also not as good as what was expected of Mbappé upon his arrival at the Santiago Bernabéu after a long chase from the European champions. The former AS Monaco player was expected to fit in perfectly with the likes of Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham, but so far it has not been easy for Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti.
If we delve into the numbers, which admittedly can only provide a fairly small sample at the moment, Mbappé’s situation becomes even more alarming with three of those eight goals coming from penalties. The French superstar is currently on a four-game goalless streak, having already experienced a three-match streak before his brace in the 2-0 win over Real Betis.
Mbappé’s current situation is similar to that of Karim Benzema, who was also slow from the beginning and the former French international’s advice to his successor was precise: “The problem, in my opinion, is that [Mbappe] “He is not a central forward, not even in the national team, every time he plays as a nine he does not feel good, because that is not his position,” Benzema told El Chiringuito.
“On the left he has a boy who is at the same level as him, Vinicius, so there is a problem, you can’t play with Vinicius as the number nine or on the right, because when he plays on the left he makes the difference in every game,” added the Ittihad Club player. “Mbappé is not a true number nine. People ask a lot of him and he is under a lot of pressure, this is not PSG.”
“Don’t give up, because I don’t think he’s going to pressure Vinicius to move,” Benzema offered Mbappé as advice. “He is the best player in the world at the moment. Mbappé needs to get it into his head that today he is number nine and forget about the left flank for a while.”
Of course, periods of adaptation are needed, but it is not just the numbers that are worrying in the Spanish capital. Mbappé’s problems on the pitch have had a detrimental impact on Real and his new teammates, as well as his new boss.
The Bondy native’s inability to look truly convincing when asked to play as a number 9 has not only impacted Ancelotti’s previous successful setup, but has also rattled Bellingham and Vini Jr. Multiple absences further back in the field have also influenced, like that of Dani Carvajal. , Thibaut Courtois and lately Aurelien Tchouameni.
While Mbappé struggles, the Brazilian on the left flank remains Real’s key man, and his performances have maintained an impressive level of consistency in the face of strong positional rivalry. With 12 goals and five assists, the South American leads the Merengues when his French teammate fails to take a step forward, which has deepened pre-existing questions.
Mbappé has been unconvincing since the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar and what was arguably one of the best individual performances for a losing team in the final in the history of the tournament. Returning to life at PSG was complicated and his only season with Luis Enrique was marked by the situation of his future, which was increasingly clearer away from the Parc des Princes.
Add to that your Strange situation with Les Bleus and the current salary dispute with PSG, Real are right to be disappointed. Focusing on returning to club action against Leganés in La Liga ahead of a big UEFA Champions League clash with Liverpool could make a big difference after the November internationals as Mbappé ends until 2024 and the start of 2025 are potentially crucial to how his situation at Real develops.
