Though Kylian Mbappe has scored 10 goals for Real Madrid since joining the Spanish champions from Paris Saint-Germain, he has faced a barrage of criticism after missing a penalty in back-to-back games across competitions.
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French superstar Kylian Mbappe hasn’t been having the best of time since his blockbuster move to Spanish champions Real Madrid from French champions Paris Saint-Germain earlier this year. Mbappe, who had starred in France’s triumph in the 2018 FIFA World Cup and had nearly led them to back-to-back titles four years later, is facing increasing criticism for his performances, especially after missing crucial penalties in consecutive games for Los Blancos.
The first of those missed penalties came in the 0-2 UEFA Champions League defeat against Premier League leaders Liverpool at The Anfield. The next missed penalty also came in a defeat – by a 2-1 margin in a league meeting with Athletic Club.
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Also Read | How Kylian Mbappe has fared in his maiden season with Real Madrid
Though Mbappe has scored 10 goals for Madrid after parting ways with PSG, the club where he had spent seven seasons starting with a loan move from Monaco in 2017, his recent struggles have raised questions over his ability to deliver under pressure when it comes to representing the most successful European club.
Mbappe’s struggles in his maiden LaLiga season has put the spotlight on former Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo’s comments on the Frenchman’s much-hyped move and how he would fare at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.
Also Read | ‘Please leave Mbappe alone’: France coach Didier Deschamps
In an interview with former Manchester United teammate Rio Ferdinand on YouTube, Ronaldo had questioned Mbappe’s ability to deal with the pressure that came with representing arguably the world’s most celebrated football club.
“We’ll see if his head is clear and fine and if he can deal well with the pressure, because Real Madrid is not PSG,” Ronaldo, who scored more than 300 goals in nine seasons for Real Madrid, told Ferdinand in the interview that aired in September.
“Mbappe goes there now (to Real Madrid) and you’ll say, will Real Madrid be better with him? We don’t know, we have to see.
“I think Real Madrid will remain strong but I don’t know if they will be better than last year. Let’s see. Only God knows. But they have a great team, great players,” added Ronaldo.
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🗣️ "Real Madrid is not PSG" 😬
CC: @rioferdy5, @Cristiano pic.twitter.com/57aBpHwVNH
— Rio Ferdinand Presents (@FIVEUK) December 4, 2024
Real Madrid currently find themselves at the second spot on the LaLiga table, trailing arch-rivals FC Barcelona by four points. They face Girona away in their next league outing on Sunday evening.
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As for the Champions League, Madrid find themselves languishing at the 24th spot after five games – winning two and losing three so far.
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