BILBAO: Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe is comforted by team-mate Jude Bellingham after failing to score from the penalty spot against Athletic Bilbao during their La Liga match at the San Mames Stadium.—AFP
BILBAO: Kylian Mbappe said he will take full responsibility for a “big mistake” after the striker missed another penalty in champions Real Madrid’s 2-1 defeat at Athletic Bilbao in La Liga on Wednesday.
A week after the French superstar failed from the spot in the Champions League against Liverpool, he endured further misery from 12 yards as Los Blancos allowed leaders Barcelona to retain their four-point advantage.
Barca who top the standings on 37 points, four ahead of second-placed Real who have a game in hand. Bilbao are fourth on 29 points.
Alejandro Berenguer fired Bilbao ahead early in the second half, with Jude Bellingham levelling for Real after Mbappe’s penalty miss.
However, substitute Gorka Guruzeta snatched fourth-place Athletic victory in the 80th minute after a Fede Valverde error.
The defeat and Mbappe’s penalty miss will heap further pressure on to the former Paris Saint-Germain striker’s shoulders after plenty of criticism in recent weeks.
“A big mistake in a match where every detail counts. I take full responsibility for it,” said Mbappe in a post on social media network Instagram. “A difficult moment but it’s the best time to change this situation and show who I am.”
Mbappe arrived with sky-high expectations to boost a stellar Real squad who won last season’s LaLiga and Champions League titles, but so he has been a shadow of his old self, looking tentative and out of sync from the rest of the team.
He has scored 10 goals in Real’s 21 games, only seven from open play.
“He is at a lot more than just 1% (of his potential), but he’s not at his best,” Real coach Carlo Ancelotti told a press conference. “However, we have to give him time to adapt \[to Real Madrid\]. He has scored 10 goals and is working hard to improve and to do better.
“I haven’t spoken to him yet. It was a complicated, even, hard-fought, competitive game. We missed a penalty... I don’t evaluate a player’s game because of a missed penalty... sometimes you score and sometimes you miss. Obviously he’s sad, disappointed, but we have to keep going.”
Bilbao were the aggressors throughout the first half against a harried Real who were short of ideas when in possession and toothless up front, going to the break with no shots on target.
Unbeaten for almost two months, Bilbao finally managed to break the deadlock to take the lead thanks to a close-range effort by Berenguer in the 53rd minute but Mbappe had a great chance to level from the spot after defender Antonio Ruediger was fouled 15 minutes later.
However, the French forward, who missed a spot-kick in the Champions League loss at Liverpool last week, stroked another weak shot that made it easy for Julen Agirrezabala to palm the effort away.
Mbappe was a non=factor until he fired an angled strike from the edge of the box late in the second half that Athletic goalkeeper Agirrezabala palmed straight to Bellingham who stroke home the rebound to equalize equalised in the 78th minute.
Rodrygo wasted a golden opportunity to get Real the lead in the next play but Valverde gifted the ball to Guruzeta who struck the winner past a helpless Thibaut Courtois one minute later.
**GIRONA KNOCKED OUT**
In Copa del Rey second-round action on Wednesday, last year’s surprise package Girona were shocked by fourth-division side Logrones as they were knocked out 4-3 on penalties.
Girona were not the only La Liga side to also kiss goodbye early to the Spanish Cup as Villarreal were stunned by fourth-division’s Pontevedra 1-0 thanks to a last-gasp goal by Dalisson de Almeida.
Valladolid needed to go to extra-time to beat Real Avila 4-2 and advance, while Leganes beat fourth-division Estepona 3-2 on penalties after a 2-2 draw.
Valencia, Betis, Celta Vigo, Las Palmas and Rayo Vallecano all advanced with easy wins.
Real and Barca will debut in the next round.
_Published in Dawn, December 6th, 2024_