Arriving at Real Madrid this summer, Kylian Mbappé is expected to share leadership with Vinicius Jr. The Brazilian international, a strong favorite for the Ballon d’Or, made headlines after his hat trick in the Champions League against Dortmund last Tuesday. On the eve of the Clasico, Sergio Agüero, former Barcelona striker, has issued a significant warning to the French forward.
According to Agüero, Kylian Mbappé will have to make a considerable compromise at Real Madrid: he will play a secondary role to Vinicius Jr. While both players are immensely talented and bring different qualities to the pitch, Agüero stated that Vinicius is simply an unstoppable force in attack.
In his comments ahead of tomorrow’s Clasico at the Bernabéu, Agüero noted that the main difference between the two Real Madrid stars lies in their playing styles. At PSG, Mbappé often played as a striker or on the left wing, allowing him to exploit counter-attacks and make decisive plays. He received all the balls and could operate freely, as long as he made an impact.
However, at Real Madrid, Vinicius occupies that role; he is the one who disrupts the game and makes the difference on the left side. The Brazilian international has become a key player in Carlo Ancelotti’s attack, and according to Agüero, Mbappé must accept this dynamic and live in the shadow of the potential 2024 Ballon d’Or winner. The former Atletico Madrid, Manchester City, and Barcelona striker believes that Mbappé will need to adjust his style to fit the game built around Vinicius.
“Vinicius possesses qualities that Mbappé doesn’t, and vice versa, as there are areas where Mbappé excels that Vinicius cannot match. Mbappé must try to adapt to Madrid’s game, he explained. In Paris, he stayed up front and awaited counter-attacks to finish off games, but it’s entirely different at Real Madrid. We don’t see the PSG Mbappé who could paint the opponent’s face. At Madrid, he must protect Vinicius’s space. He disrupts the game and can hurt you,” commented Agüero.
The mysterious strength of the Bernabéu
Regarding the upcoming Clasico, Agüero acknowledges that FC Barcelona may have a slight edge due to their current momentum. Under the leadership of an excellent Hansi Flick, the Blaugrana are a powerhouse and have been dominating everyone in La Liga this season, with only a single misstep against Osasuna tarnishing their record. Carlo Ancelotti may draw inspiration from this for tomorrow’s Clasico.
Yet again, Agüero asserts that he cannot predict what will happen in the match’s final minutes, as Real Madrid’s strength remains unpredictable. Reminiscing about his time at Atlético, he reminds us that the Madrid side can turn critical situations around due to their unwavering confidence at the Santiago Bernabéu.
“The pitch always has an influence, and it will be complicated, but they (the Blaugrana) have a better chance of winning than the Madrilenians, even though Real doesn’t need 20% possession to score. How is that possible? We don’t know, but historically, in the last ten minutes, they possess something that others don’t. I experienced this with Atlético,” he concluded.
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