Kylian Mbappé’s much-anticipated move to Real Madrid hasn’t been the seamless transition many expected following his free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain this summer.
The 25-year-old, now signed through 2029, has faced a rocky start in Madrid. His challenges were evident during Real Madrid’s 2-0 loss to Liverpool on Matchday 5 of the UEFA Champions League group stage.
With Vinicius unavailable last Wednesday, Mbappé had an opportunity to shine in his preferred role, but the evening ended in frustration for the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner.
While he managed to score in a weekend match against Getafe, Mbappé has struggled to deliver in key moments. His tough stretch continued on Wednesday when he missed a crucial penalty in the 68th minute of Real Madrid’s 2-1 defeat to Athletic Club.
Kylian Mbappé urged to stop taking penalty kicks for Real Madrid
Kylian Mbappe
David Ramos/Getty Images
Mbappé has missed two straight penalty kicks for the Spanish sideand RMC Sport punditKevin Diaz believes it’s time for the forward to stop taking these shots.
“Looking at the missed penalty—it’s clear that anyone can miss a penalty,” Diaz said. “However, the issue lies in Mbappé wanting to take penalties despite not being a penalty specialist. He demonstrated this again over the weekend and also in the match against Liverpool. He’s notparticularly skilled at taking penalties.
“He pretends to watch the goalkeeper, but when it comes to the actual kick, he doesn’t look at the keeperat all. Perhaps he’s trying to emulate Neymar, especially considering the controversy surrounding penalties during his time at Paris Saint-Germain. This example of the penalty reflects, to some extent, what frustrates people about Kylian Mbappé.”
Sommes-nous trop ingrats avec Kylian Mbappé ?
🗣️ @kevindiaz11 : "Cette histoire de penalties révèle une chose : il ne connait pas ses limites. Parfois, il se voit meilleur qu'il ne l'est. Il n'est pas un spécialiste des penalties." #RMCLive pic.twitter.com/tYMlALtBrN
— After Foot RMC (@AfterRMC) December 5, 2024
Eventually, the argument about adaptation will no longer hold, and people will start asking if Mbappé’s dream transfer could turn into a nightmare.