Carlo Ancelotti has expressed Real Madrid’s unwavering support for Kylian Mbappé during what he described as a ‘difficult moment’ for the French striker.
Mbappé, who missed a penalty in Real Madrid’s 2-0 loss to Liverpool, has been struggling to find confidence in recent matches.
The forward, who joined Madrid on a free transfer from Paris-Saint-Germain in the summer, was closely marked by Conor Bradley during the game,while Caoimhin Kelleher denied him from the penalty spot. Reflecting on the situation, Ancelotti remarked, “This has happened before in my career many times, forwards when you are a striker you want to score and get a bit of confidence
“There is a medicine which is a difficult moment for him, I think Mbappe, it is a difficult moment we have to support him and give him our love, he will soon be fine.
“It could be a lack of confidence maybe, sometimes maybe when you have moments when things aren’t working out, the idea is to keep things simple, don’t complicate life.
“You don’t need to blame him for missing penalties, people miss penalties, it happens a lot.”
Mbappé has scored nine goals in 18 appearances for Madrid this season but has only found the net once in the Champions League. Real Madrid who have lost three of their five group-stage games in the competition, currently sit 24th in the revamped 36-team league format.
“Things are not running for him. We’ve got to be patient. He is an extraordinary player — a fantastic player,” Ancelotti added.
The match also saw Mohammed Salah miss a penalty for Liverpool, but substitute Cody Gakpo sealed the victory by doubling Liverpool’s lead. This win marked a historic moment for Liverpool’s new head coach, Arne Slot, who succeeded in defeating Real Madrid in the Champions League – something Jurgen Klopp never managed in six attempts.
Liverpool’s flawless run in this season’s Champions League continues, placing them at the top of the standings with five wins from five games. Each team in the competition plays eight matches in the opening phase. Real Madrid will face Atlanta next, while Liverpool are set to take on Girona.
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