Kylian Mbappe missed a pivotal penalty in the second half of their Champions League clash against Liverpool, as Real Madrid fell to a 2-0 defeat, with many fans and pundits quick to question his adaptation to life at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Kylian Mbappe has come under increased scrutiny after a difficult start to his Real Madrid career, with his underwhelming performance in the Champions League clash against Liverpool on Wednesday fueling criticism. The Frenchman missed a pivotal penalty in the second half, as Real Madrid fell to a 2-0 defeat, with many fans and pundits quick to question his adaptation to life at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Several former football stars, including Bacary Sagna and Gareth Bale, have come forward to show their strong support for Kylian Mbappe. Sagna, in particular, drew comparisons between Mbappe and some of the greatest players in Real Madrid's history, such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema.
Former France international Bacary Sagna believes that Mbappe's struggles are nothing unusual for a player adjusting to a new environment at a top club like Real Madrid. Drawing on the experiences of legends such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, and David Beckham, Sagna pointed out that even some of the greatest players in history had rocky starts before ultimately becoming club icons.
"I have no doubts that the move to Real Madrid will be successful," Sagna said Mega Dice. "Everyone expected him to come in and break the records from the off. If you remember when Cristiano Ronaldo came to Madrid, he didn’t start well. When Benzema went to Real Madrid, everyone thought they made a big mistake signing him. When Beckham joined Madrid, people started saying he was a flop. Kylian is not alone in having a difficult start at Real. It happens to players."
"Players like Ronaldo, Benzema and Beckham, they became legends at the club, and Mbappe will follow in their footsteps. Even [Zinedine] Zidane was criticised! It will take time, but Mbappe will be a massive success at Real Madrid. People have such high expectations of him, which is why he is criticised more than any other player," he added.
Sagna added that the media and fans need to give Mbappé time to settle into his new team and life in Spain. "The press in France are way too harsh. They need to give him time to settle in Madrid," Sagna added.
"It’s going to take time for him to be at his best because it’s a new team with a new philosophy. He has new players around him, bigger and better players, and it can take time to adapt. Mbappe has gone into a new environment, a team that has just won the Champions League, and he needs his own space. He’s surrounded by big players that have already won a lot, he’s a superstar in a team full of them, whereas at PSG, he was the main man. He’s not the leader of this Madrid team like he was in Paris. Since he was 15 years old, Mabppe has been the best player in every team that he played in. Now he's surrounded with big profiles and big egos. That can be hard to deal with – it’s all new for Kylian. Mbappe is an amazing player. He needs time to adapt and to reshape his life. I think the coach understood that bringing him into a negative environment at this period of time was not the best idea."
Former Real Madrid winger Gareth Bale, who experienced similar pressure during his time at the club, also came to Mbappe's defense. Speaking to TNT Sports following Real Madrid's defeat to Liverpool, Bale said, "He is the best in the world, and it is a matter of time before he proves it."
He acknowledged that both Mbappe and Mohamed Salah had missed penalties, but emphasized that the spotlight would unfairly remain on the Frenchman's miss due to Liverpool’s victory. "He and Salah have missed penalties, but since Liverpool won, we will only talk about Mbappe’s," he said.
Luka Modric, who has seen his fair share of new arrivals at the club, assured the media post-match that Mbappe is on the right track, saying: “We see Mbappe doing well, training well, with confidence. I’m sure that Kylian will do what is expected of him.”
His words were echoed by manager Carlo Ancelotti, who also offered support, stating that Mbappe is adapting well to the team and that his form will improve with patience. “Kylian Mbappe has everyone’s support and will soon emerge from this difficult time. He is an extraordinary player, we must be patient. He’s doing well and adapting well," the Real Madrid boss said.
Despite the early setbacks, the consensus among these former professionals is clear: Mbappe has the talent, and with time, he will thrive at Real Madrid, just as many legendary figures did before him. The question is not if he will succeed, but when. As the French forward continues his adjustment, the pressure will remain, but those close to him are confident that his potential will soon shine through at one of Europe's biggest clubs.
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