Kylian Mbappe has had his fair share of triumphant moments on the pitch. However, Wednesday night at Anfield was not one of them.
Liverpool comfortably defeated Real Madrid in the Champions League, with Alexis Mac Allister and Cody Gakpo scoring to secure a 2-0 victory for the Reds. Arne Slot's team have maintained an impressive winning streak, securing five victories in the new league phase.
In stark contrast, Mbappe's Real Madrid are struggling to qualify for the knockout phase, having suffered three losses and only two wins from their five matches. The Frenchman, who joined on a free transfer amid much anticipation, has yet to meet expectations.
His penalty miss at 1-0 down on Wednesday has led to harsh criticism from the Spanish media following a lackluster performance. The forward has also faced scrutiny back home in France, with L'Equipe, the notoriously critical French newspaper, rating his performance a mere two out of 10.
Fellow French international Ferland Mendy received the same score, while Jude Bellingham, Luka Modric and Brahim Diaz were rated just slightly higher. Liverpool's Caoimhin Kelleher and Conor Bradley were singled out for praise by L'Equipe, each receiving a seven out of 10, as did Eduardo Camavinga.
Since 1988, the French paper has awarded perfect scores to only 16 players, the most recent being Ademola Lookman in last season's Europa League final for Atalanta.
Mbappe has been struggling for consistent form since his move from Paris Saint-Germain and boss Carlo Ancelotti was asked about the Frenchman after the game. He said: "Forwards, when they don't score they get a bit disappointed and lose confidence. There's a medicine. It's a difficult moment for Mbappe, we have to give him our support and our love and he'll soon be fine.
"It could be a lack of confidence. The idea is to keep things simple and not overcomplicate it. You get through these moments. You can't blame someone for missing a penalty, you can't put too much grief on him for that. He just has to get through it."