Kylian Mbappé’s first El Clásico didn’t go as he had hoped, as Real Madrid suffered a disappointing 4-0 defeat to FC Barcelona last Saturday at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.
While he certainly caught attention, it wasn’t for the right reasons. The match remained scoreless until the 31st minute when Mbappé thought he had given Madrid the lead, but VAR ruled the goal offside.
Offside became a frustrating theme for the former Paris Saint-Germain star, who was flagged eight times during the match—more than any player in LaLiga over the past decade, according to StatMuse on X.
To make matters worse, Real Madrid watched as Barcelona celebrated four goals, all of which came in the second half. Veteran Robert Lewandowski struck twice in quick succession, scoring in the 54th and 56th minutes.
Lamine Yamal added another in the 77th, and Raphinha capped off the evening with a goal in the 84th minute.
How can Kylian Mbappé snap out of slow Real Madrid start?
Despite decent stats—eight goals and two assists in 14 matches across all competitions—the former PSG star hasn’t been able to showcase his best self, especially within the Merengue style of play, where he hasn’t made a significant impact. French football analyst Sidney Govo believes his positioning is the main issue for Mbappé at Real Madrid.
“Is Mbappé really a No. 9? He definitely needs to reinvent himself; that’s for sure,” Govo said on Canal Football Club (h/t Le10Sport). “Ancelotti will have him play as a No. 9, but he performs better when he starts his plays from the wing.
“The evidence shows that putting him in the No. 9 role isn’t really helping him. With Vinicius on the left, he can’t take his spot, and Rodrygo is on the right. I think he’s feeling a bit trapped, so he’ll need to find a way to adapt.”