Is Kylian Mbappe’s inaugural season at Real Madrid a triumph?

As the current LaLiga season draws to a close, Kylian Mbappe of Real Madrid is poised to clinch the coveted ‘Pichichi’ award for the top scorer in Spain’s elite football division. He could also surpass Viktor Gyokeres in the contest for the European Golden Boot.

The highly anticipated transfer of the French star from Paris Saint-Germain to Madrid came to fruition last summer. At a time when Los Blancos held the titles for both the league and Champions League, securing Mbappe’s services seemed a transformative achievement.

Regarded as a prolific scorer throughout his career, Mbappe was expected to take centre stage in an elite Real side. While he has certainly delivered on his goal tally—29 in 33 league matches and 40 in total across 54 games—his contributions have not always translated into team success.

Mbappe’s Struggles in Key Matches

Despite his scoring prowess, Mbappe’s performances in this season’s four Clasico fixtures have been disappointing, with his team yet to secure a point against their fiercest rivals.

While he cannot shoulder all the blame for Carlo Ancelotti’s side’s struggles, his impact has been underwhelming in pivotal encounters, failing to influence the outcome significantly.

Mbappe struggled to find the net in four out of his first five Champions League outings, against teams like Lille, Dortmund, Milan, and Liverpool. He also failed to score in the opener of the league Clasico versus Barcelona, suffering a humbling experience that left him frustrated as he was repeatedly caught offside.

However, his memorable hat-trick against Manchester City in the Champions League stands out as a highlight. Yet, he must be left feeling let down by his failure to make a significant impact in a loss to Arsenal, and the fact that a treble in the season’s final Clasico proved fruitless as Barcelona edged a 4-3 victory.

Facing Hostility from Fans

Hearing boos from his own supporters must have been a shock, yet it’s not merely his goals that have stirred discontent among the fanbase. Up to now, Mbappe has recorded just 15 tackles across all competitions, with a startlingly low success rate of 62.5%. Add to that only five interceptions from 54 matches, and it’s clear there’s room for improvement regarding his defensive duties.

Despite possessing strong upper body strength, he has only won 44% of his duels in LaLiga, losing 169 out of 302 challenges. This statistic falls short of expectations for a player of his calibre.

With a similar style of play to Vinicius Junior, the duo has faced challenges in developing a fluid partnership, often making similar runs and positioning themselves in isolation. The focus on individual scoring has occasionally overshadowed the importance of teamwork.

Strikers thrive on goals and sometimes this mindset leads to missed opportunities to set teammates up for success. Both players have displayed a tendency toward selfishness at times this season, and statistics suggest this has at times cost Real Madrid in crucial matches.

When the situation called for him to play a decisive pass to exploit the runs of players like Vinicius, Jude Bellingham or Rodrygo, records indicate that Mbappe’s passing output notably declined.

In the first league Clasico, despite a commendable pass completion rate of 95.5% at the Santiago Bernabeu—his best of the season—Mbappe only attempted 22 passes throughout the match. Even with his hat-trick in the last Clasico, he made a mere nine passes, significantly less than his attempted 91 against Espanyol and 73 against Atletico Madrid, despite the lower success rates in those games.

Finding a Balance Between Individual and Team Play

This season has showcased flashes of Mbappe’s individual brilliance, yet he has failed to capitalise on numerous opportunities to elevate his game further.

As the season summary unfolds, club officials must decide whether to evaluate Mbappe purely as a goalscorer or to consider his broader contributions and shortcomings in team dynamics.

In winning seasons, a player’s deficits may be overlooked, but with Real Madrid’s trophy cabinet largely unfilled this season, Mbappe has become a target of criticism.

This season, the club has only managed to secure a UEFA Super Cup, raising legitimate questions that must be addressed.

PSG’s Ascendance Without Mbappe

Interestingly, his former team, PSG, now finds itself in the Champions League final, potentially on the brink of winning the coveted trophy for the first time—ironically, without Mbappe.

“I had the courage to say last season that we would have a better team in attack and defence (without Mbappe),” claimed PSG’s manager, Luis Enrique, earlier this year. “I still stand by that, and the statistics prove my point.”

This situation may serve as a cautionary tale for Real Madrid…