Liverpool got here through hard against Real Madrid within the Champions League on Wednesday, leaving Carlos Ancelotti's side – particularly Kylian Mbappe – injured.
At the club, fans and media agreed that Mbappé needed to prove his value to his recent club after a mixed begin to the season, as Vinicius Junior was out because of injury.
But he didn't. On the contrary, he missed the penalty that might have brought his team back into the sport.
His plight was made clear at the ultimate whistle, seconds after he lost the ball for the fifteenth time, and the sequence ended with a surprising save from Thibaut Courtois that prevented Luis Diaz from making it 3-0. The Frenchman stood together with his hands on his hips for a number of moments before becoming the primary player to succeed in the dressing room, dejected and comforted by teammate Jesus Vallejo and assistant coach Davide Ancelotti.
Lost the fight with Bradley
Before his move to Real Madrid was announced, there was debate amongst fans and within the media about how Mbappe might slot in. The most important concern is that his preferred position on the left is already occupied by Vinicius Jr., a player considered essentially the most respected player, voted the second best award on this planet by the Ballon d'Or jury.
The Brazilian began the season on the wing, but on Sunday at Leganes Ancelotti switched positions to enhance the Frenchman's situation.
With Vinicius Jr injured on the trip to Anfield, Mbappe's area of best concern was cleared. And opposite him was Conor Bradley, who was playing only his fourth Champions League game and his first as a starter.
Although Bradley received help from his teammates, Mbappe repeatedly failed one-on-one with him and against other opponents.
He suffered the primary two defeats in the primary 4 minutes, which were met with cheers from the house fans, who whistled at him throughout. The first mistake also led to a likelihood for Liverpool when Raul Asencio cleared off the road.
One of essentially the most significant images got here within the thirty second minute when he challenged Bradley in a race that he would have been expected to win easily, but which he lost. Anfield celebrated it like a goal.
Mbappe finished the sport with only one shot on goal (the penalty saved) and one other goal blocked, three successful dribbles (tied with Brahim Diaz for essentially the most) out of six, a pass success rate of 75 percent (the bottom outfield player), zero probabilities created, 15 lost possessions and three recoveries. Its erratic appearance is shown below within the player dashboard.
The missed penalty
Mbappe had the chance to vary the script within the second half.
Eight minutes after the 0-1 deficit due to Alexis Mac Allister's goal, a mix of substitutes Dani Ceballos and Lucas Vazquez resulted in a penalty for a foul on Vazquez. Without Vinicius Jr., Mbappe would have been the penalty taker.
Antonio Rüdiger stayed near the ball and his teammate in the course of the VAR check and ensured that nobody disturbed him. But when Mbappe took on Caoimhin Kelleher, the Liverpool academy goalkeeper got here out on top.
Caoimhin saves Kylian Mbappé from the penalty spot! 😳
📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/fr45wUF2Cj
– Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) November 27, 2024
Mbappe responded by putting his hands to his head, although he was barely less expressive afterwards. Briefly he thought he may need one other likelihood, waiting to see if the penalty can be retaken if the goalkeeper went off his line, but then he was dissatisfied again.
A 3rd of his goals this season – three out of nine – have come on penalties. But this wasn't his night.
Is Mbappe's attitude an issue?
Body language can only tell us a lot, but Mbappe's gestures haven't left a great impression for a while.
As he walked into the locker room at half-time, he seemed to be lacking in confidence and dejected. After those minutes inside, before he returned to the sector, the cameras captured him away from a gaggle of teammates, as if at a distance, while Jude Bellingham led the best way, giving instructions and inspiring him.
Mbappe's disappointment was clear when Cody Gakpo's goal made it 2-0 with 14 minutes left and protested to the referee a few possible offside call.
Shortly before, there had been a moment that reflected his helplessness: he lost a ball after a brief corner from Luka Modric and lost a run back to regain possession.
Many fans also criticized him for his attitude after the sport when he didn’t greet the away team. He also didn't show his face in front of the media or within the mixed zone, as a substitute Modric, Ceballos and Bellingham represented.
Ancelotti was asked in regards to the Frenchman's mood.
“It could be that he lacks a bit of self-confidence,” said the Italian. “When there's a moment when things aren't going the way you want, you have to come up with the idea of just playing, and sometimes you make things a little more complicated. But this moment is missing. You can’t judge a player for missing a penalty.”
Support to beat a difficult time
Mbappe is fighting and his numbers reflect that. He has scored nine goals and provided two assists in 18 games, which equates to a goal contribution every 136.5 minutes.
How can he improve his situation?
Maybe step one is support from inside, something he felt.
Club officials went out of their strategy to speak highly of him privately to the media and highlighted his high standard in training sessions.
Ancelotti and his teammates have also supported him in public.
“Kylian was criticized excessively, it was very positive how he contributed. I see him in practice and it’s scary,” Bellingham said at a news conference Tuesday.
“The penalty (miss) is not the reason why we lost,” the Englishman said on Wednesday.
“Keep working and fighting and keep going because the moment will pass,” Ancelotti said. “(A situation like this) has happened to me many times in my career, especially with strikers when they struggle to score. There is a cure: be patient. Everyone has to support him.”
Modric, who acted as captain, also had words of support within the mixed zone: “It's his first year and it's never easy – in Madrid the first years are complicated. He has our trust and knows how to get out of this situation: not to lose self-confidence and to work day after day.”
Vazquez assured that his teammates “will always support him, he is a world-class player and he will prove it. The team is always there to help him.”
Ceballos also nodded to him. “He doesn't score the goals he wants, but we know better than anyone how hard he works,” he explained. “It is difficult to settle at a club like Madrid, but Kylian will do it. I’m sure he will.”
image credit : www.nytimes.com