Kylian Mbappé’s initial months at Real Madrid have proven to be far from smooth, as the French forward struggles to fully integrate into the team’s playing style, despite producing strong individual statistics. In his first 14 matches across all competitions, Mbappé has scored eight goals and provided two assists. However, his performances have not been without challenges, and the transition to life in Madrid has not been as seamless as many anticipated.
Mbappé’s first taste of El Clásico, held on October 26, was a particularly difficult experience. Real Madrid suffered a crushing 4-0 loss to Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabéu, a defeat that left the team reeling. The struggles continued just a few days later, when Real Madrid was once again beaten at home, this time 3-1 by AC Milan in the UEFA Champions League. This loss marked a disappointing second consecutive home defeat for Madrid, with a combined aggregate score of 7-1 across the two matches. Throughout both games, Mbappé, who is PSG’s all-time top scorer, failed to leave a meaningful mark on the proceedings, drawing criticism for his lack of impact.
One of the notable voices offering critique was ESPN FC pundit Alejandro Moreno, who pointed to Mbappé’s struggles with movement and positioning as a striker. In his analysis, Moreno highlighted that Mbappé seemed unable, unwilling, or unsure of how to make the right runs in the attacking third, which disrupted the flow of Real Madrid’s play.
Moreno focused on a particular sequence in the match against AC Milan, where Jude Bellingham made a perfectly timed run into the space behind the defense, only to find Mbappé in a poor position at the top of the penalty area. Instead of attacking the six-yard box, which is where a striker would typically position themselves to finish the cross, Mbappé was stationed far from the action, offering no support for Bellingham’s play. In another instance, when Bellingham made a similar run in the second half, Mbappé dropped deeper into a playmaking role instead of continuing his run into the box. This lack of forward movement left Bellingham with no one to pass to, and he eventually lost possession of the ball.
This has led to further debate about Mbappé’s role within the team, particularly given his known reluctance to play as a central striker. Many fans and pundits argue that Real Madrid must decide how to best utilize the French forward, with one prominent voice, RMC Sport’s Daniel Riolo, suggesting that Mbappé will never truly thrive as a No. 9. Riolo has repeatedly stated that Mbappé is best suited to playing on the left wing, his natural position, or, if that spot is unavailable, possibly even being left on the bench. With Vinicius Jr. currently occupying the left-wing role at Real Madrid and performing at a high level, Riolo believes that Mbappé may have to accept a place on the sidelines if he is not willing to adapt to playing centrally.
As Mbappé continues to settle into his new environment at Real Madrid, questions remain about how he can adapt to the team’s tactical setup and whether he can return to the kind of performances that made him a superstar at PSG.
