Absent from the French list for the next Nations League matches, Kylian Mbappé started Real Madrid’s confrontation against Villarreal in La Liga this Saturday. An appearance which inevitably caused talk, even cringe a few teeth among the French staff or even the supporters of the Blues.
The Bondynois was therefore sufficiently fit to start a match in the Spanish championship. So why wasn’t he summoned by Didier Deschamps? The question remains unanswered and will certainly fuel the media microcosm over the coming days.
Mbappé transparent
But while waiting to see what this present on the ground will cause a stir, it is already interesting to observe the performance of the former Parisian. This one was rather ordinary. The captain of the Blues did not show his advantage too much, notably wasting the rare ammunition he had available. At the 5e minute, he signed a shot that was too quick. And just before the break (40e), he missed a face to face against the doormen of the Yellow Submarine.
Given the performance provided by Mbappé, one could wonder if it was really a good idea to have played him. Ancelotti must have realized that he had made the wrong choice. At 71e minute, he shortened the ordeal of his recruit, replacing her with Rodrygo.
Vinicius scores and leaves injured
Mbappé lacking inspiration, Real Madrid had to rely on other elements to shake the opposing nets. Federico Valverde and Vinicius Jr responded in this area, both scoring on shots from outside the area. The Uruguayan also enhanced his good performance with a decisive pass. For Real, this victory obtained (2-0) serves to heal the wounds.
However, it was not without cost. The European champions saw Vinicius Jr and Dani Carvajal come off injured late in the match. In the case of the latter, the injury seemed particularly worrying. Other adventures likely to darken the Spanish newspapers in the coming days.
