- 17 hours ago
Kylian Mbappe: The GOOD NEWS for Real Madrid after Liverpool disasterclass
Robin Bairner
- 28 Nov 2024 00:59 CST
- 4 min read
Believe it or not, there is some positive Kylian Mbappe news to emerge from the Frenchman’s woeful performance as Real Madrid were comfortably beaten 2-0 by Liverpool on Wednesday.
Mbappe endured a nightmare evening at Anfield in which he was bullied by 21-year-old Conor Bradley and saw a penalty saved by Caoimhin Kelleher that prevented Los Blancos squaring the game a 1-1 midway through the second half.
There was a warning shot early on of what was to come. Mbappe dithered like an amateur in possession deep in the Liverpool half, playing the game like it was a Sunday morning kickaround and not the biggest Champions League game of the week. Mo Salah robbed the ball from him with ease and started at break that ended with Raul Asencio clearing from his goal line.
A veteran of close to 500 professional games, this was the absolute worst for Mbappe. Rock bottom. Not only was this the low point, but it’s also hard to image the summer signing from PSG can possibly get any worse. That, if nothing else, is what Real Madrid supporters can take from Anfield.
Current ETV
Kylian Mbappé
F (C)
Real Madrid
Kylian Mbappé
F (C)
Real Madrid
ETV Range
€113.3M - €188.9M
Unsurprisingly, Mbappe made the front pages of the Spanish sports press. The verdict was predictably unforgiving.
Marca went with ‘The Cruel Reality’, Sport declared Real Madrid to be ‘Sunken’ and Mundo Deportivo went with ‘Mbappe’s stumbling block’. AS’ headline simply of ‘Fallen’ was perhaps the most fitting – both for the player and club.
All three had images of the Frenchman getting to grips with his new reality in which he is suddenly being questioned from all sides.
Ancelotti reveals Mbappe medicine
Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate had previously said on international duty that he would not like to live Kylian Mbappe’s life after the forward was dropped by France. That will certainly be the case now as he suddenly stands square in the face of accusations of being one of the biggest transfer flops of all time.
“There is medicine for this problem,” Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti said of his confidence-shot striker after the game, “be patient.
“It has happened many times that forwards have a hard time scoring and that disappoints them.
“Let him keep working, fighting and struggling, because this moment will pass. He is working well and adapting well. Everything is fine. Things are not going his way at the moment... but it's okay. You have to be patient, because he is an extraordinary player.”
STATS
Kylian Mbappé
F (C)
Real Madrid
Kylian Mbappé
F (C)
Real Madrid
Mbappe’s statistics, for the moment, are holding up. He has nine goals in 18 games, which is steady work, albeit three have been penalties, yet the patience that Ancelotti wants is unlikely to be replicated from the Bernabeu crowd.
There is no option but for the forward to play his way through the trouble either. Vinicius Junior is one of a number of stars out injured, providing Mbappe his opportunity to star during a rush of December fixtures.
Getafe, Athletic Club, Girona, Atalanta and Rayo Vallecano all face Real Madrid in the first two weeks of December, and then there is the Club World Cup in Qatar.
For Mbappe, there is no way out of the firing line, and for Real Madrid, there is now little time for patience with their out-of-form superstar.
