Kylian Mbappé’s start at Real Madrid hasn’t been smooth. The former Paris Saint-Germain star has had a challenging few games, drawing some criticism.
While his stats remain strong—eight goals and two assists in 14 matches across all competitions—he’s struggled to fully adapt to Real Madrid’s playing style. His first El Clásico was disappointing, with Real Madrid falling 4-0 to Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabéu on October 26.
The difficulties continued on Tuesday night when Real Madrid lost 3-1 to AC Milan in the UEFA Champions League, making it two straight home defeats with a combined score of 7-1. In both matches, PSG’s all-time leading scorer found it tough to make a real impact.
Kylian Mbappé fuels drama with reported decision
According to SPORT, Mbappé isn’t interested in playing as a No. 9 for Real Madrid. He’d rather stick to his usual role on the left, which is currently Vinicius’ spot.
🚨 Kylian Mbappé does not want to play the number 9 position at Real Madrid! 😬🇫🇷
He prefers his normal position from the left. 😳
(Source: @sport) pic.twitter.com/Dsps7szW78
— Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) November 6, 2024
Former Real Madrid star Karim Benzema believes there’s a clear reason why Mbappé hasn’t yet made a big mark in Spanish football. Speaking with El Chiringuito TV this week, the Al-Ittihad star offered his take on his fellow Frenchman’s challenges in Madrid.
“For me, Mbappé is not a 9. He’s a left winger,” Benzema told the Spanish media outlet. “But the problem is that at left wing, there’s Vinicius Jr. Mbappe knows that there is a lot of pressure at Real Madrid. At Madrid, you go two, three matches without goals, they’ll kill you.
“I think he has to learn to live with this. He has to put on a good impression in matches. Every match is a new one, and he has to score goals because they brought him to score goals only.”
