Sorry for Mbappe

Winning the UEFA Super Cup earlier this season or the FIFA Intercontinental Cup with Real Madrid at the end of last year can hardly be considered major titles for Mbappe. The "Los Blancos" being eliminated from the Champions League, the Copa del Rey and almost losing the chance to win La Liga marked a heavy failure of the "Los Blancos" season.

Mbappe is still good

Mbappe enters the 2024/25 season under immense pressure. After seven years of dominating Ligue 1 with PSG, he arrived at Real Madrid with the aim of conquering La Liga and the Champions League. The Frenchman has been in impressive form, scoring 39 goals in 52 games in all competitions. This is the highest ever tally by a player in his first season at Real Madrid, breaking the previous record held by Ivan Zamorano (Zamorano scored 37 goals in 45 games after moving from Sevilla more than three decades ago).

The paradox is that the French superstar's hat-trick still could not help Real Madrid win the match. Mbappe, despite being the brightest star, could not cover up Real Madrid's problems. The team's defense fell into crisis with a series of injuries to Eder Militao, David Alaba and Ferland Mendy.

The midfield, despite the likes of Federico Valverde and Jude Bellingham, lacks the creativity to support Mbappe and Vinicius Junior. AS commented: “Mbappe scores more goals than all of Real Madrid’s other forwards combined, but he can’t tackle or play a full game.”

Similar to Cristiano Ronaldo

Mbappe's situation is reminiscent of Cristiano Ronaldo's first season at Real Madrid (2009/10). At that time, Ronaldo joined Real Madrid from Manchester United for a record fee of 80 million pounds, with the expectation of leading the team to major titles.

In his first season, Ronaldo immediately proved his worth with 33 goals in 35 games in all competitions, but Real Madrid did not win any titles. Barcelona, under the leadership of Pep Guardiola, dominated La Liga, while in the Champions League, Real Madrid stopped in the round of 16 against Lyon.

Mbappe has been in impressive form, scoring 39 goals in 52 matches.

Like Mbappe, Ronaldo shone individually but could not compensate for the imbalance in the squad. Real Madrid's defense at that time, with Pepe and Raul Albiol, often made mistakes, while the midfield lacked stability.

It wasn't until his second season that Ronaldo started to reap success, winning the Copa del Rey. It was in the 2011/12 season, under the guidance of Jose Mourinho, that Ronaldo and Real Madrid started to reap success, winning the La Liga title. Mbappe now faces a similar situation.

Real Madrid in 2024/25 lack squad depth, especially in defence. With only four real centre-backs – Jesus Vallejo is not up to par and Militao and Alaba are constantly injured – Real Madrid are easily exploited by strong opponents like Barcelona or Arsenal.

Mbappe, despite his talent, cannot make up for these shortcomings. It is rare for Real Madrid to lose all four El Clasicos in a season. It reminds people of how Ronaldo was helpless against the might of Barcelona at the peak of Pep Guardiola's reign.

Hansi Flick's current Barcelona, while not as successful as Pep's in the past, also display a beautiful attacking style and suffocate opponents similarly. This poses a challenge for Mbappe himself and especially President Florentino Perez in the future.

Real Madrid's failure to sign quality centre-backs and midfielders in recent times has cost them dearly, as their squad is unbalanced. In addition, Carlo Ancelotti's coaching style, despite his success in the past, no longer seems to suit the current squad.

The defeat to Barcelona and the threat of no title reflects larger problems in Real Madrid's strategy. For Mbappe to become a legend, Perez needs to act decisively, from transfers to playing style.

The 2024/25 season may be a trophyless year for Kylian Mbappe, but it is also an opportunity for him to mature, just like Ronaldo in his early days at Real Madrid.