A great goal against Getafe and a better performance, without being transcendent, than during his last outings, and for many, this was the signal of a return of Kylian Mbappé to the top of his form. But barely 3 days later, it is clear that this is not the case. Opposed to an Athletic Bilbao sure of its qualities, Real Madrid again conceded a defeat, already the 5th this season, and Mbappé was once again insipid.
Worse, he missed a penalty again, a perfect photocopy of the one missed at Liverpool, with an open foot and a goalkeeper who deflects the ball. “Today we studied things a lot, I knew he was a good penalty taker. He had missed his in the previous match (at Liverpool) and I thought he was going to repeat the experience and shoot the same way. Fortunately, that’s what he did.”explained the Basque doorman Agirrezabala on the microphone of DAZN. If Mbappé redeemed himself by sending a mine which led to the Bellingham goal, Mbappé also wasted a golden ball from Rodrygo by hitting the goalkeeper weakly. This is the sad summary of his match, with individual initiatives too often easily stopped by opposing defenders.
Mbappé is still in crisis
The Spanish press made no mistake, judging the Frenchman’s performance rather harshly. “The Mbappé affair is starting to be a horror film. After spending a tormented hour in San Mamés, with no excess to offer, obscured in an already gloomy team, the match gave him, as in Liverpool, an opportunity for redemption and he missed it. His penalty was taken poorly, weakly, without conviction, weighed down by the atmosphere and his lack of confidence.wrote Acefollowed closely by Marca. “Beyond the two failures, Mbappé once again tiptoed through the match. He was not the only one, because it is difficult to save someone in Madrid, but he was long awaited. The Frenchman tried, but he lacks the spark and the determination. Without Vinicius, he started on the left side and failed in the races he attempted. Almost always, an opponent crossed his path and took the ball from him. »
A harsh but fairly realistic judgment. That said, the press also has a grudge against Carlo Ancelotti, considered “worse than Mbappé” in his choices. Indeed, this Real Madrid is as predictable for its opponents as it is illegible for its aficionados. The hybrid scheme put in place, supposed to put the players present in their best role, does not work. Bellingham saved the furniture, but even the ever-reliable Valverde broke down on Wednesday night. As for Mbappé, the comments from the various Spanish media are likely to be very telling again tomorrow morning…
