Despite scoring in Real Madrid’s 4-2 La Liga victory over Sevilla on Sunday, Kylian Mbappé acknowledged that he “hit rock bottom” after missing a crucial penalty earlier this month. He also stated that he “can do a lot more.”
With his 14th goal of the season across all competitions and his sixth goal in the past month, star striker Mbappé opened the scoring against Sevilla at the Bernabéu.
He has, however, come under fire for his overall play, particularly after Madrid’s most recent loss, a 2-1 setback at San Mamés on December 4, when Mbappé missed a penalty kick after trailing 1-0.
Mbappé said, “I can do a lot more,” to Real Madrid TV. “I am aware that I am capable of much more. I’ve performed better in the last several games. I enjoyed the game in Bilbao. I missed a penalty, and I was at my lowest. I saw then that I needed to put my all into this shirt and play with greater personality.”
A week after seeing another penalty saved against Liverpool in the Champions League and days after he denied a chance to attempt a spot kick against Getafe, Mbappé missed against Athletic. After winning the UEFA Super Cup in August and the FIFA Intercontinental Cup last week, when he scored in a 3-0 victory over Pachuca of Mexico in Qatar, Mbappé has already won two titles while wearing a Madrid shirt. In the past month, he has also been performing better.
“I think we’ve gotten to know each other better,” Mbappé stated when questioned about his recent form improvement. “I joined the team, which alters a lot of things, but today, as [coach Carlo Ancelotti] has stated, my transition is complete, and I feel fantastic. On the pitch, we can see that I am better understanding my teammates, and the entire team is playing more effectively.
“We’ve gone back to doing things well,” coach Ancelotti stated in his post-match press conference. “It has been difficult for the group, but the team — and Mbappé in particular — has gradually returned to performing well. We are confident going into 2025 as a team.
“After the defeat against Milan on November 5th, 2024, we sorted things out in the dressing room, speaking clearly,” said Ancelotti. “We’ve resolved it… Without [Dani] Carvajal, [Eder] Militao, and [David] Alaba, we still have some weaknesses, therefore we’ve worked to improve our attacking abilities.”
Madrid currently enters the La Liga Christmas break two points ahead of rivals Barcelona and only one point behind leaders Atletico.
Mbappé, Federico Valverde, Rodrygo, Brahim Díaz all scored goals in their triumph over Sevilla, although Vinícius Júnior was suspended and missed the game.
“We’ve improved in recent months,” Mbappé stated. After the travel to Qatar, we were a little worn out, and the game was challenging. However, we played well right away, scoring goals and maintaining the lead. Madrid supporters will be pleased today, I believe.
