Liverpool suffered a tough battle against Real Madrid in the Champions League on Wednesday, with Carlos Ancelotti's side suffering, especially Kylian Mbappe.
At the club, fans and media agreed that today was Mbappé's day to prove his worth at his new club after a mixed start to the season due to Vinicius Junior being sidelined through injury.
But he didn't. It was quite the opposite when he missed a penalty that could have put his team back in the game.
His woes were summed up at the final whistle seconds after he lost possession for the 15th time in a series of matches where a superb save from Thibaut Courtois denied Luis Diaz a 3-0. The Frenchman stood for a moment with his hands on his hips before being the first player to arrive in the dressing room and being consoled midway through by teammate Jesus Vallejo and assistant manager Davide Ancelotti.
Lost the battle with Bradley
Before his transfer to Real Madrid was announced, there was debate among fans and in the media about how Mbappé would adapt. The main concern is that his preferred position on the left is occupied by Vinicius Junior, who is already rated as a top-class player. Ranked 2nd in the world by the Ballon d'Or judges.
The Brazilian started the season on the wing, but Ancelotti changed his position against Leganes on Sunday in a bid to turn around the Frenchman's fortunes.
Vinicius Junior was injured during the trip to Anfield, leaving the area where Mbappé would have the most impact vacant. And across from him was Connor Bradley. He had just played his fourth game in the Champions League and his first as a starter.
Although Bradley received help from his teammates, Mbappé continued to fail in one-on-ones with Bradley and against other opponents.
He suffered his first two defeats in the opening four minutes, with the home fans cheering and whistling throughout. An initial mistake also created a chance for Liverpool, with Raul Asensio clearing from his line.
One of the most important footage was in the 32nd minute when he challenged Bradley in a race that looked like he could easily win, but lost. Anfield celebrated it like a goal.
Mbappé had one shot on target (a penalty save) and one block, three out of six successful dribbles (along with Brahim Diaz for the most), a pass success rate of 75% (lowest for an outfield player), and zero chances. It was. They lost 15 possessions and recovered three times. His erratic display is shown in the image below. The AthleticPlayer dashboard below.
penalty for failure
Mbappe was given the opportunity to change the script in the second half.
Eight minutes after Alexis Mac Allister's goal led to a 1-0 lead, substitutes Dani Ceballos and Lucas Vazquez combined to earn a penalty after a foul on Vazquez. Without Vinicius Junior, it was definitely Mbappé who would take the penalty.
Antonio Rudiger stayed close to the ball and his teammates so that no one could disturb him during the VAR check. But when Mbappe came forward to play against Caoich Kelleher, Liverpool's academy goalkeeper came out on top.
Caoich Kelleher denies Kylian Mbappe from the spot! 😳
📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/fr45wUF2Cj
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) November 27, 2024
Mbappe responded by putting his hand on his head, but his expression became a little dull after that. Long story short, he thought he might have another chance and waited to see if the penalty would be taken again if the goalkeeper stepped off his line, only to be disappointed again.
A third of his goals this season, or three out of nine, have come from penalties. But this wasn't his night.
Is Mbappé's attitude the problem?
You can only tell so much from body language, but Mbappe's gestures haven't made a good impression for a while.
He looked lacking in confidence as he headed to the changing room at half-time. After spending a few minutes indoors, before returning to the pitch, the cameras appeared to show him away from a group of team-mates while Jude Bellingham led the way, giving instructions and encouragement.
After Kodi Gakpo's goal with 14 minutes remaining made it 2-0, Mbappé appeared frustrated as he protested to the referee about possible offside.
Just before that, there was a moment that reflected his helplessness when he lost the ball from Luka Modric's short corner and lost the race to get it back.
Many fans criticized his attitude for not going to the away stands to greet him after the match. He also did not appear in front of the media or the mixed zone, with Modric, Ceballos and Bellingham representing him instead.
Ancelotti was asked about the Frenchman's state of mind.
“Maybe he lacks a little bit of confidence,” said the Italian. “When you have moments where things don't go your way, the mindset you need is to play simple, but sometimes you can complicate things a little bit more. But this moment is missing. You can't judge the players.”
Support to get you through difficult times
Mbappe is struggling and his numbers reflect that. He has nine goals and two assists in 18 games, at a rate of being involved in a goal every 136.5 minutes.
How can I improve his situation?
Perhaps the first step is the support he has been feeling from within.
Club representatives have gone out of their way to speak highly of him in private with the media, highlighting his high level of performance in training sessions.
Ancelotti and his teammates have also shown their support in public.
“Killian has been criticized for hyperbole, but his contribution has been very positive. It's scary to watch him train,” Bellingham said at a press conference on Tuesday.
“The penalty (miss) was not the reason we lost,” the Englishman said on Wednesday.
“Keep working, keep fighting, keep moving forward, because the moment passes,” Ancelotti said. “(Situations like this) have happened many times in my career, especially when the striker is struggling to score. There is medicine: be patient. Everyone has to support him. No.”
Modric, who is in captain mode, also expressed his support in the mixed zone: He has confidence in us and knows how to get out of this situation – how to not lose confidence and strive every day. ”
Vazquez promised that his teammates “will always support him. He is a world-class player and he will prove it.” The team is always available to help him. ”
Ceballos also nodded. “He hasn't scored the goals he wants to score, but we know better than anyone how hard he's working,” he explained. “It's difficult to settle down at a club like Madrid, but I'm sure Kylian will do it. I'm sure he will.”
(Top photo: Peter Byrne/PA Images via Getty Images)
