Has Mbappé had a successful season at Real Madrid? 🤔 | OneFootball

Hit or flop this season? 

Kylian Mbappé’s season at Real Madrid has generated a lot of debate. It came to an end on Saturday, on the final Liga matchday against Bilbao (a 4-2 win), in a game that perfectly illustrates the striker’s complicated situation at Real: on the scoresheet again, yet booed by the crowd.

So let’s take stock of his second season at the club.

Not happy? Pichichi

With 25 goals in 31 Liga matches, along with 5 assists, Kylian Mbappé won his second Pichichi trophy (top scorer in the league) in two years. He is also the most decisive player in the league, ahead of Yamal (16 goals, 11 assists).

Those stats look even more impressive if we broaden the scope to all competitions: 42 goals and 7 assists in 44 matches. With 15 goals in the Champions League, he became the second player to score that many in a single season, behind CR7’s 17 goals.

Exceptional numbers, with Kyks still a goal-scoring machine and one of the most prolific finishers in the world. It is rather his impact on the collective play that draws criticism, but the Frenchman remains an extraordinary striker, and still is at Real. 

New controversies and tensions

Yet these statistical feats are not enough in the eyes of Madrid fans, who see him as one of the main people responsible for these two trophyless seasons, without a major title. The issue, just like when he played for PSG, is performances seen as too individualistic and an insufficient overall contribution. Hence the new whistles last Saturday, despite yet another goal.

"Mbappé was told: 'Scoring 40 goals is not enough, the overall contribution is too poor.' The Bernabéu has taken sides between Bellingham and Mbappé," as a Spanish columnist from Cadena SER who follows the club summed it up. Because Real is being eaten away by a clan war, a source of tensions (as shown by the physical altercation between Tchouaméni and Valverde), at the heart of which the French striker finds himself.

While the division initially formed between those opposed to Xabi Alonso (the Vinicius/Valverde camp) and those supporting him, Mbappé has also become a point of tension in a dressing room that reportedly fell apart over the course of the season.

The reasons include his behavior, first on the pitch with an alleged lack of commitment, no celebrations for some teammates’ goals... but also off the pitch, such as his trip to Sardinia (while injured) as his teammates were playing a match in early May, or his comments about Arbeloa ("he told me I was the fourth-choice striker"), which were disputed by the man himself. 

Altogether, it is a toxic mix that has weakened the Frenchman’s position. He is still close to a few teammates, but increasingly isolated at the club and openly rejected by the supporters. While he has had no trouble getting back to scoring goals and remains one of the best players in the world, Mbappé still has not won hearts at the club of his dreams.

Must win next season

Real Madrid is about to go through a particularly busy summer. After two seasons without a major title and a volcanic situation within the squad, the club has to find solutions. Starting with the coaching position. And while Mourinho’s return is being expected to restore order and turn the team back into a winning machine, it will have to wait, because even Florentino Perez is not certain to stay. New elections will be held since another candidate has entered the race.

Combined with the departures of key veterans (Carvajal, Alaba...), Real is at a turning point, just like Mbappé. Despite the stats, his performances are not convincing, he is not carrying the team, and the fans’ disenchantment is real. As he heads into his third season at the club, there is no longer any choice, for him or for the club: they have to win trophies. 

Give us your opinion in the comments! Whatever people think of his performances at Real, his season is not quite over yet, as the striker remains one of France’s main assets for the World Cup, where he will be able to play in a calmer atmosphere. Do you think he’s going to shine? 

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇫🇷 here.

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