This Real Madrid with Kylian Mbappé is not impressive at the moment. And that is already materializing in the La Liga standings, since the Merengues have only won three of their five league games, leaving Barça (already) four points ahead at the top. The reigning Spanish and European champions did not shine in their first Champions League match, Tuesday at the Bernabéu, for a snatched victory against Stuttgart (3-1). They did not shine either defensively or offensively.
Saved by a great Thibaut Courtois on the attempts of the Bundesliga vice-champions, the Madrilenians opened the score as soon as they returned from the locker room. Rodrygo took advantage of an opponent’s error to serve Mbappé on a plate (46th). Stuttgart was less good than in the first half, but Deniz Undav equalized for his team (68th). Real finally snatched the three points thanks to a header from Antonio Rüdiger on a corner (83rd) then a powerful strike from afar from Endrick in added time (95th).
A very weak Real Madrid
At 1-1, the match was however marked by a long discussion between an angry Carlo Ancelotti and Vinicius who did not let himself be done on the sidelines, while the game had resumed! Huge discomfort while Real are not (yet?) a good team when losing the ball and in the defensive phase due to the intermittent pressing of the attacking trio (the team plays in 4-3-3). Stuttgart had largely jostled Real in the first half and the Bernabéu residents showed no control in the second. The Italian Mister also decided to take off Rodrygo and Jude Bellingham rather than Vinicius and Mbappé and this will get Real fans talking.
Although he scored his fifth goal of the season in his seventh match in all competitions (with the European Super Cup won against Atalanta), Mbappé has still not convinced as a centre forward. The captain of the Blues created an opportunity all by himself by cutting in from the left (25th). Otherwise, he did not seem very comfortable in the position of 9 in the game. He did not shine in this position under Luis Enrique with PSG last season. We are still far from the mark for this Real Madrid…
