Kylian Mbappe has attributed his recent improvement at Real Madrid to a mental transformation, following initial struggles after his high-profile transfer from Paris Saint-Germain.
The French forward, who experienced inconsistent form in his early months at Madrid, has recently rediscovered his peak performance. “You always have to be calm and focus on your game and what you can improve,” Mbappe stated at a press conference before Madrid’s Champions League match with RB Salzburg.
After missing crucial penalties against Liverpool and Athletic Bilbao in late 2024, Mbappe acknowledged hitting “the bottom.” However, he has since rebounded impressively, scoring eight goals in his last ten appearances across all competitions.
“It was more of a mental thing… I knew I was good physically, good with the team, but I had to do more,” Mbappe explained. “I didn’t come to Madrid to play badly. Now it’s all changed, and I have to continue, because playing well for a month is good, but it’s easy.”
During his challenging period, which included a thigh injury, Mbappe was absent from several France national team squads. Addressing this, he stated, “There’s no issue with the national team… I can understand the criticism. I’m excited to return in March and try to reach the Nations League semifinals.”
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has supported Mbappe throughout, maintaining his position that the striker needed adaptation time. Ancelotti consistently deployed Mbappe centrally, keeping Vinicius Junior in his preferred left-wing position, despite their initial difficulties in coordination.
Recently, Mbappe delivered his strongest performance for Madrid with two goals against Las Palmas, helping the team reach the LaLiga summit. With Vinicius returning for Champions League action, their developing partnership could prove crucial for Madrid’s European ambitions.
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