Emmanuel Petit names 2 Real Madrid stars who are ‘the biggest problem’ for Kylian Mbappe as Frenchman struggles to find form
Emmanuel Petit claims two Real Madrid players pose a major problem for Kylian Mbappe, with the superstar struggling to find form. Mbappe notably made the switch from Paris Saint-Germain, joining Los Blancos on a free transfer in the summer.
However, things have not taken off as he might have expected. The French forward has scored just three league goals from open play in La Liga, with a total of six goals and one assist in 11 games. With half his goals coming from the penalty spot, questions have been raised about his form.
Mbappe is also dealing with a goal drought, with his last goal coming in their 2-1 win over Celta de Vigo on October 19 - over a month ago. This comes amidst Real Madrid's generally poor performances, as they have endured two losses out of four UEFA Champions League games. They also faltered against Barcelona in LaLiga, losing 4-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Emmanuel Petit believes that the players at the club may not be too pleased about the decision to sign Mbappe in the summer. He name-checked two players - Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Jr - as those causing the French forward problems at the Bernabeu, telling Casino Hawks (via Mirror):
"When you win big trophies, you build happiness, and bringing in big egos changes things. The biggest problem for Mbappe is having two team-mates who also want to be the star of the show and want to win the Ballon d'Or in Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Jr."
Petit went on to add:
"Kylian Mbappe has just got to show that he has the character and mental strength to put things right. He needs to show that he can be as strong as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo mentality to find his consistency, he needs to show that he has real character and personality on the pitch."
Carlo Ancelotti promises Real Madrid superstar Kylian Mbappe will break goalscoring drought
Kylian Mbappe's current goalscoring drought is an understandable cause for concern for Real Madrid. There was much fanfare to his arrival at the Santiago Bernabeu but the 2018 World Cup winner has not lived up to expectations.
However, speaking ahead of their match against Leganes, Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti promised that things would turn around for the 25-year-old. He said (via Reuters):
"It happens to all great strikers, he can get frustrated but that's not his case. I see him motivated and happy to train with his teammates. Sooner or later he will break that streak of games in which he hasn't scored goals.
"Tomorrow he will have a great game because it is just a matter of time. He has incredible quality and sooner or later he will show it."
Kylian Mbappe will face Leganes tomorrow (November 24) in Real Madrid's next LaLiga clash at the Estadio Municipal de Butarque.