Mbappe proves he has Cristiano Ronaldo quality Real Madrid fans will love

Robin Bairner

• 18 Apr 2024 08:25 BST
• 4 min read

Kylian Mbappe is set to follow in the footsteps of his hero Cristiano Ronaldo by signing for Real Madrid in the summer.

Although even a player as wildly talented as Mbappe is unlikely to match Ronaldo’s achievement of five Ballons d’Or, there are certain similarities between the two approach the game – and fans of Los Blancos are sure to appreciate these when the PSG forward finally arrives at the Bernabeu in the summer.

He showed in Tuesday’s Champions League victory over Barcelona one particular quality that fans of Los Blancos will appreciate. - and it goes beyond his knack of scoring against the Catalans.

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Mbappe struck the vital blows for PSG as they knocked out Real Madrid’s Clasico rivals 6-4 on aggregate. The second of these was an opportunist effort inside the box, but it was the penalty he took 28 minutes earlier that was arguably the more impressive of his goals.

It may have been a clear shot from 12 yards, but there was much riding on the effort. Mbappe’s whole PSG legacy hung by a thread after being attacked by critics for his disappointing performances in recent weeks, while there was also a lengthy wait before he struck the ball as the foul on Ousmane Dembele by Joao Cancelo was checked.

Up against Marc-Andre ter Stegen, he sent the ball into the top corner of the goal, paving PSG’s way to the semi-finals, where they will meet Borussia Dortmund.

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Mbappe becoming a penalty expert

Mbappe is not a great penalty kick taker – he has missed two of the five he has attempted in 2024 and has a conversion rate of around 80%. He is average.

When it comes to clutch kicks, like Ronaldo, he has hardened himself into an expert.

Those efforts he has previously squandered have typically been inconsequential. In the 10 matches he has missed from the spot in normal time, his team have always gone on to win.

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The exception was in Euro 2020, when he saw his penalty against Switzerland saved in a last-16 shootout, ultimately ending in France’s elimination.

He has grown from that experience. In the World Cup final, for example, he scored three times (twice in regular play and once in the shootout) from the spot against arguably the best goalkeeper in the world in the form of Emi Martinez.

Earlier this season, he also scored a clutch Champions League kick against Newcastle as it appeared PSG might be crashing out in the group stage. And he repeated that feat with PSG’s lives on the line against Barcelona.

Ronaldo, meanwhile, missed 13 spot kicks of 92 for Real Madrid, but like Mbappe was a mentality monster from the spot. When it mattered, he always scored.