The Mbappé Paradox

BarcelonaKylian Mbappé is not having the best season of his professional career. Despite being the standard-bearer for Real Madrid and their top scorer, with 39 goals in 38 games, his individual performance is not translating into collective success. In fact, with La Liga almost impossible, continuing in the Champions League depends on a very difficult comeback this Wednesday at Bayern Munich's ground (9 p.m., Movistar). A second blank season is the most likely option. Florentino Pérez tried to turn the situation around by sacking Xabi Alonso in January and appointing Álvaro Arbeloa as the new coach, but everything points to the measure ending up being fruitless. Once again, putting together star players on the pitch is not a guarantee of titles.

Mbappé went to Madrid and, in this way, fulfilled his childhood dream. He was also pursuing another dream that eluded him at PSG: winning the Champions League, a feat the Parisians achieved without him. With the 'big-eared trophy' once again frankly out of reach (Los Blancos have to come back from a 1-2 deficit at the Allianz Arena), the Bernabéu faithful are not at all happy with the team, and beyond blaming Arbeloa and the players, they have focused on Mbappé. The data suggests that when the French forward does not play or plays little, Madrid performs better. In the last four matches played with him in the starting lineup, they have not won any: three losses and one draw. And in the two only encounters in the last six where he has not started, 21 minutes against Manchester City and 26 against Atlético de Madrid, his team won them.

After the match against Girona, Arbeloa was asked if he was worried about Mbappé and Vinícius' lack of finishing. "I can't worry about two players who have the numbers they do. They are two of the best in the world. We have to improve collectively in many aspects, especially in one that is causing us difficulties: teams that wait for us and don't press us much. It's a situation that still costs us to manage and has more to do with collective performance than individual talent. We are confident that on Wednesday they can put an end to the bad dynamic and show more accuracy," stressed the white coach. The last match in which the Frenchman participated in a goal was precisely against Bayern, in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals. He scored the 1-2, and gave hope of a comeback against Germans who missed several chances. Even so, his effort was not enough to turn the score around, but it was enough to keep his team alive for the second leg.

Deschamps, in the orbit of Real Madrid

And precisely this duel is the most important for Madrid this season. It could define not only if this year they go empty-handed, but also Arbeloa's future on the white bench. Winning the Champions League would mean directly earning a renewal, but falling in the quarterfinals would put an end to his time as Real Madrid coach. Given the doubts about his future, many rumors are emerging about who his successor will be. The latest to have emerged has done so strongly: Didier Deschamps. According to specialized journalist Fabrice Hawkins, the still French national team coach is one of the favorites to make the leap to the Bernabéu. He will be free after the World Cup and would be well-placed to secure the position, thanks to his track record, his experience, and his profile as a mediating coach, traits he shares with Carlo Ancelotti or Zinedine Zidane. It should also not be overlooked that he knows Mbappé well, whom he turned into a world champion in 2018.