The Kylian Mbappe we knew can no longer be found.
Real Madrid lost 0-2 in the fifth game of the European Champions League (UCL) League phase of the 2024-2025 season at Anfield in Liverpool, England, on the 28th (Korea time). Real were fatally shot in the defeat, dropping to 24th place overall.
Real lost to Liverpool for the first time in 15 years. All eyes are on Mbappe after the defeat. Vinicius Junior, who served as an ace, was out of power due to injury, creating a situation where Mbappe now really has to show. It was no longer possible to prove Mbappe's worth just by scoring a penalty.
Real coach Carlo Ancelotti placed Mbappe in his favorite left wing forward position to save him. It was a match that Mbappe had to prove to be the best in the world.
In such an important game, Mbappe was reduced to the root cause of defeat. The player who stopped Mbappe was Conor Bradley, a young Liverpool prospect. Against Bradley, Mbappe never showed any threatening play of his own.
Mbappe even kicked a golden opportunity to make up for his slump. In the 14th minute of the second half, when Liverpool was leading by Alexis McAllister's first goal, Lucas Vazquez, who was replaced by Real, won a penalty. Mbappe is the kicker. However, Mbappe missed even the penalty as it was perfectly read by Quibin Kelleher.
If Mbappe had succeeded in the penalty kick, it was impossible to know how the flow of the stadium would fluctuate, but Liverpool began to get more upbeat as Mbappe missed. In the end, Liverpool scored an additional goal from Cody Hakpo, and Mbappe became a player who set fire to his team's defeat.
Football statistics media Footmob gave Mbapp a 5.8 rating. It was the lowest-scoring Mbappe after Antonio Rudiger. Mbappe did not show any presence in attack, including penalty kicks, two shots, three dribbles successful (6 attempts), and zero accurate crosses.
Daniel Riolo, editor of the RMC, also wrote that in addition to missing a penalty kick for Mbappe's performance after the match, Mbappe is so bad that he gives off anxiety. He's not even a soccer player anymore. On the field he no longer does anything, he no longer achieves anything, he no longer plays. He is at the bottom of it."
Riolo "Do you remember seeing a mentally damaged player disappear like that on the field that he could no longer move. The more cases we have so far since the Euros, the more Mbappe's body feels like it doesn't want it", he speculated that Mbappe seemed to be having trouble psychologically as well.
Real coach Carlo Ancelotti said after the game that "Mbappe is supported by all of us. It will change the situation soon. Mbappe is a great player. You have to be patient. He is doing well and adjusting well. We will be with Mbappe"I protected the player.
In addition, Ancelotti said "Mbappe may have lost a little bit of confidence. When things don't go well, you have to think that you have to play it simply and clearly", Mbappe himself admitted that he had to show better performance.
It was Mbappe, who was considered a transfer of the century, but he only scored nine goals and two assists in 18 games after moving to Real. In fact, it is not a bad record if you look at the attack points, but the proportion of penalty points is also large. Penalty kick success is also a skill, but the kicker in charge of penalty kicks is not the only thing that Mbappe expected. Like Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and France, he is a superstar who shakes the field and bursts the score with his brilliant personal skills.
However, the reality is that Mbappe's mood is not expected to change much at the moment. It's not a situation where you can do tactical settings for Mbappe either. Real already have too many injuries. There are many injuries, but it is very difficult in reality to significantly change the tactical setting for Mbappe.
Mbappe will eventually have to move back to centre when Vinicius Junior returns from injury. It is proving throughout this season how much Mbappe is being reduced in power in the centre. If Mbappe, who had no presence even after moving to the left, moves to the center, it is expected to show only a fainter appearance.
Mbappe is facing the biggest crisis in his career.
rlaeotlr2024@sportschosun.com
