Marca continued: “There is no doubt that Real Madrid are in a dire situation. It is true that Arbeloa’s side did not deserve to lose, but the impression left by the match is that Bayern Munich are far superior to Los Blancos, who held their own out of sheer pride in front of the Bernabéu crowd, and thanks to Mbappé’s lightning pace, not because of his footballing ability.”
She added: “There will always be those who wish to fuel the pointless debate that Real Madrid are better off without the Frenchman, but he scored Real Madrid’s only goal and created their best chances, whilst Bayern’s goals did not come from Mbappé’s mistakes.”
The newspaper continued: “The idea that Real Madrid are a better, more cohesive, and more... whatever else, without Mbappé, would be a lovely theory, almost poetic, were it not for the fact that football tends to favour those who strive for the impossible over those who lose hope. If Real Madrid still have a glimmer of hope in Munich, however slim, it is thanks to Mbappé.”