Real Madrid In ‘Real’ Struggle With Kylian Mbappe?
Kylian Mbappe had descended to his favourite club Real Madrid with peak expectations, however, the recent performance of the player has been disappointing, his rough start has placed him under continuous scrutiny ever since the beginning of the season.
When the young French star was signed for Real Madrid on a free transfer earlier this year, it was hailed as a game-changing transfer. However, considering the recent performances, things aren’t going well for the club or Mbappe.
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The coach had retained the Brazil international Vinicius in his favoured position on the wing and has used Mbappe, who prefers to play off the left, down the middle.
In Benzema’s view, the real problem is making Mbappe play as the center forward. “Mbappe is not a central striker, even with the national team, every time he plays as a number nine he doesn’t feel right, because that’s not his position”, he had said while speaking to a Spanish channel.
In 14 matches played so far, the French captain has scored eight times and provided two assists. As per the report in RELEVO, Carlo Ancelotti, Real Madrid manager seems not happy with Mbappe’s contribution off the ball. The manager wants the forward to drop and help out as his lack of off-ball work causes a defensive imbalance in Los Blancos’ set-up.
The Los Blancos have fallen nine points behind their arch-rival Barcelona, who have played one game more than the other, with a 4-0 defeat in their first El Classico meet epitomizing a disappointing start to the campaign of both Mbappe and Madrid.
When considering the El Classico match, the Frenchman is said to have run a total of just 8 km, which is said to be the lowest of any outfield player. Most players break the 10 km mark with relative ease every week.
As per the 90min reports, this low record has proven to be problematic for both team players as well, as many had to take up many defensive duties in an attempt to compensate for Mbappe’s shortcomings.
For instance, Jude Bellingham had to run more than he has even in his Madrid career, however, he still awaits to score his first of the season, while he had already shot six goals in La Liga.
Just like the French captain, Karim Benzema too was littered with criticism during the start of his career at Madrid. The Real Madrid icon sharing his own experience in the club highlighted the level of pressure Mbappe will face. “My situation in my first year and Kylian’s is different. I was 21 and he is 25, it’s not the same. He knows that there is a lot of pressure at Real Madrid,” he noted.
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Even a brief goal drought could lead to harsh criticism. Benzema said, “If you don’t score in two or three games, they’ll kill you. He has to learn to live with that. He has to put up with that pressure”.
With Benzema’s seasoned advice and Ancelotti’s new strategies, the Madridistas’ expect a powerful comeback to the season.
