Subdued exit despite scoring: Kylian Mbappé fails to impress against Rayo Vallecano. Despite finding the net against Rayo Vallecano, Kylian Mbappé left the pitch with his head down after an underwhelming performance. Following Real Madrid’s victory, the French striker faced criticism for a lack of awareness in front of goal, particularly for missing key passes to Rodrygo Goes and Vinicius Junior.
Real Madrid did the job on Sunday at the Santiago Bernabéu. After a well-deserved defeat against Real Betis on matchday 26 of La Liga, Carlo Ancelotti and his players were eager to get back to winning ways against a team they had failed to beat in their last three encounters. Backed by a typically passionate home crowd, Los Blancos quickly found the net twice in the 30th and 34th minutes, courtesy of Kylian Mbappé and Vinicius Junior. In this match, Madrid had several opportunities to score more goals and secure a more comfortable victory.
Two key moments sparking frustration
Unfortunately, in front of goal, Madrid’s forwards lacked precision and composure in the final third. Among the clear-cut chances that Carlo Ancelotti’s attacking trio could have converted, two moments stand out. In one instance, just after Madrid’s second goal, Kylian Mbappé squandered a golden opportunity. With Vini positioned perfectly on the flank, unmarked in front of goal, KM9 opted to shoot instead, only to be blocked by the Rayo Vallecano goalkeeper.
Aside from this decision, which denied Real Madrid a crucial third goal that could have put the game to bed before half-time, Mbappé made another costly error in the second half. As the match grew tighter, with just a one-goal margin, the former PSG star once again failed to assist a teammate. At the 54th minute, instead of setting up Rodrygo Goes—who was in a better position to score—Mbappé tried to double his tally. Just as in the 34th-minute incident, KM9 deprived his team of a clear-cut goal in his relentless pursuit of a brace.
Rodrygo’s reaction spoke volumes, grimacing in frustration as he expected a different decision from his teammate. Eventually, both players were substituted, likely to be rested ahead of the crucial Champions League Round of 16 second leg against Atlético Madrid on Wednesday. However, the game’s tense finish left many Madrid fans on edge, and criticism of Mbappé soon followed.
Mbappé accused of selfishness
Beyond the heated reactions on X (formerly Twitter), where fans slammed Kylian Mbappé’s “selfishness” for refusing to pass to his attacking partners, Spanish journalists also did not hold back. On Radio Marca, the French forward’s performance was scrutinised, with many echoing fans’ frustrations.
“He seems too eager to catch up with Lewandowski in the La Liga top scorer race, but in doing so, he’s putting Real Madrid at risk. The team needs to finish games off early and give younger players more playing time,” commented a Spanish journalist on the radio show.
With 18 goals in La Liga, Mbappé now sits just three strikes behind the Barcelona forward leading the Pichichi race. However, while many initially believed his struggles at Madrid stemmed from not being sought out enough in attack, the narrative is shifting—this time against him.
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