Not compatible

In Spain there is a famous saying, Where there are two roosters in a coop, one is too many ( Donde hay dos gallos en un gallinero, uno sobra ; similar to “one jungle cannot have two tigers”) , and this is very true for Real Madrid .

In theory, bringing together big stars should lead to greater success. But football doesn't always follow that logic.

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Vinicius and Mbappe do not get along on the pitch. Photo: Diario AS

Since the start of the 2024/25 season, there has been a looming issue at Real Madrid: how can Vinicius and Kylian Mbappe combine most effectively?

Carlo Ancelotti didn't solve this equation until he left the Bernabeu. Xabi Alonso brought a breath of fresh air, but the first time he started Vinicius alongside Mbappe, Real Madrid lost 0-4 to PSG.

Vinicius and Mbappe don't work together. The data shows that. They are two geniuses, but they don't mix.

Of Real Madrid's total 6,240 minutes played (68 games), they have been on the pitch for 3,439 minutes – 55% of the time. Vini (4,631 minutes) and Kylian (4,745) have played almost the same number of minutes.

Remarkably, during the entire time they played together, only 15% of Vinicius' passes were made to Mbappe.

An alarming number, especially when the Brazilian player is a winger who tends to create more (19 assists), compared to Mbappe (5).

Opta statistics show that Vinicius made 1,315 passes, but only 202 were directed at Mbappe, while the former PSG player should have been his main partner.

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Vinicius is far from the Champions League winning season. Photo: EFE

In the Spanish Super Cup, this figure is 30%, but in the Champions League it is only 16%.

There were flashes of coordination; but on average, they rarely found each other. Conversely, Mbappe only gave Vini 13% of his passes – 184/1,413.

There's no denying Mbappe's role is more about finishing than linking up, but the numbers are worth noting for Alonso. They don't look for each other much; and they don't understand each other much.

Both are worse

The result of not understanding each other is that both players play worse. Although Mbappe won the European Golden Shoe (and the Pichichi), his stats have dropped compared to last season.

In his final season in Paris, Mbappe scored every 88 minutes. At the Bernabeu, he needs more time to put the ball in the net - 108 minutes.

If you count assists, Mbappe went from participating in a goal every 72 minutes to now every 97 minutes.

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Mbappe's performance has decreased compared to his last season at PSG. Photo: EFE

For his part, Vinicius's scoring efficiency has gone from every 129 minutes to every 211 minutes. From contributing to a goal every 88 minutes, it now takes him 113 minutes.

The data suggests something is wrong with the pair. Vinicius’s most serious decline came towards the end of the season: just one goal in the last 11 games (against Arsenal, second leg).

Vini’s season can be divided into “pre-Ballon d’Or” and “post-Ballon d’Or”, with 36% of his goals coming before the latter. After the award night, he faded into obscurity, ending the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup in forgettable fashion.

Mbappe, on the other hand, started the season very slowly but ended it explosively. He scored 10 goals in the last 6 games (counting from the Copa del Rey final).

This sprint helped him reach 44 goals in all competitions, with 31 goals in La Liga.

The overall picture shows a contrast in the two men's performances. Like two poles of a magnet repelling each other: when one shines, the other fades.

Another piece of data proves this: in Real Madrid's 68 games, only 8 have seen both players score – most of which occurred in the early stages of the season.

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Xabi Alonso must find a way to connect Vinicius and Mbappe. Photo: Imago

Since Christmas, they have only scored in three games together: Celta Celta in the Copa del Rey (16/1), Salzburg in the Champions League (22/1) and Rayo Vallecano in La Liga (9/3). From February onwards: one game. From March until the end of the season: none.

Pairing Mbappe and Vinicius is no easy task for Xabi Alonso. The experiment against PSG was a dismal failure, and Vini openly expressed his dissatisfaction with playing on the right.

No one doubts the individual quality of Vinicius and Mbappé. Their talent is undeniable. But that's not the issue; the issue is how well they play together.

Ancelotti failed to do so and now the Madridistas are closely watching Alonso.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/real-madrid-kho-vi-vinicius-vs-mbappe-nui-khong-co-hai-cop-2424081.html