Kylian Mbappé’s start at Real Madrid hasn’t been easy. The former Paris Saint-Germain star has faced a tough few games, bringing him under the spotlight of criticism.
While his stats are solid—with eight goals and two assists in 14 matches across all competitions—he has struggled to find his rhythm in Real Madrid’s style of play. His first El Clásico didn’t go as planned, as Real Madrid suffered a disappointing 4-0 loss to Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabéu on October 26.
The challenges continued on Tuesday night when Real Madrid fell 3-1 at home to AC Milan in the UEFA Champions League, marking two consecutive home losses with a combined score of 7-1. In both matches, PSG’s all-time leading scorer struggled to leave his mark.
Every PSG supporter knows that Mbappé isn’t keen on playing as a No. 9. One pundit suggests the Spanish side needs to decide: either let him play on the left wing, where he feels most comfortable, or consider the bench, as that position currently belongs to Vinicius Jr.
"I’ve said it over and over for months and months: Mbappé will never be a No. 9," RMC Sport’s Daniel Riolo said. "So it’s either on the left or on the bench. And given Vinicius’s level, it has to be on the bench."
Karim Benzema, who netted 354 goals in 648 appearances for the club, thinks there’s a clear reason why Mbappé hasn’t yet made a big mark in Spanish football. Speaking with El Chiringuito TV this week, the Al-Ittihad star offered his take on his fellow Frenchman’s challenges in Madrid.
"For me, Mbappé is not a 9. He’s a left winger," Benzema told the Spanish media outlet. "But the problem is that at left wing, there’s Vinicius Jr. Mbappe knows that there is a lot of pressure at Real Madrid. At Madrid, you go two, three matches without goals, they’ll kill you."
"I think he has to learn to live with this. He has to put on a good impression in matches. Every match is a new one, and he has to score goals because they brought him to score goals only."