The compatibility issue between Kylian Mbappé and Vinicius Junior at Real Madrid is no longer a taboo subject. This Saturday in Villarreal, the French forward once again raised the issue clearly.
As we’ve said countless times, Kylian Mbappé’s arrival at Real Madrid has complicated things for Carlo Ancelotti and his coaching staff. While there were expectations of an explosive partnership between the Madrid forwards and the French star, the reality is quite different. In fact, every time Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo Goes, and KM9 are all lined up together, either it’s Goes who shines while the other two struggle, or it’s the Frenchman who shines at Vinicius’ expense, and vice versa. Before the 28th matchday of La Liga on Saturday night, the Madrid attack was completely ineffective.
Mbappé’s new XXL performance without Vini
Against Real Betis (a defeat for the Madrid side) and in the two-legged clash against Atlético Madrid in the Champions League Round of 16, Mbappé and Vinicius stepped on each other’s toes or barely made an impact. Jorge Valdano, former player and coach of Real Madrid, indicated that there is a combination issue between the two star forwards. This Saturday, during the trip to La Cerámica for the match against Villarreal, Vinicius’ absence immediately allowed the French forward to shine.
With a sparkling Rodrygo Goes on the left wing, Kylian Mbappé magically rediscovered his scoring touch and netted two quick, fine goals to secure the victory for Real Madrid. Just after Goes’ substitution and the introduction of Vini, who took the left side, things became complicated again for Los Blancos offensively. Between attempting individual runs, shooting, or making passes, KM9 and Vinicius no longer seemed to make the right decisions.
Named man of the match after the 2-1 win at La Cerámica, Mbappé indirectly confirms a compatibility problem with his Brazilian teammate. Although he doesn’t say it outright, the French captain is clearly not comfortable playing alongside Vini. To truly confirm the trend, it’s worth remembering that the emergence of Real Madrid’s top scorer this season began in December, when Vini was suspended and missed matches.
As our colleagues from Real France point out, 50% of Mbappé’s goals in La Liga (10 out of 20) come without Vini on the pitch alongside him.
Time for a radical change?
In January, Vinicius didn’t shine at all, while his attacking partners excelled. If the three star forwards of Real Madrid cannot all shine together in a single match, it’s clear that there’s an issue with their understanding or compatibility. In Spain, the situation is no longer taboo. On forums and in TV and radio shows, Madrid media have revealed that the forwards’ performances are raising concerns within the club’s management. As some have pointed out, it’s clear that Carlo Ancelotti sacrifices one of his forwards in his starting eleven.
By attempting to align the three stars alongside Jude Bellingham, the Madrid coaching staff is straining the team. During this international break, Ancelotti will need to consider which players should be in the starting lineup for upcoming fixtures. With the dense schedule, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to try rotating one of the three attacking stars on the bench and alternating them for each match. It would be preferable to have either Kylian or Vinicius shine one after the other, rather than having them both on the pitch together, stepping on each other’s toes.
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