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Karim Benzema reveals what Kylian Mbappe’s problem is at Real Madrid
Former Real Madrid captain Karim Benzema has explained why Kylian Mbappe has struggled to make an immediate impact in the Spanish capital, focusing on an issue that coach Carlo Ancelotti may have when it comes to team selection.
The French forward made the highly-anticipated move from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer, joining Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Junior. He arrived off the back of their La Liga and Champions League winning season, but so far 2024/25 has not been as kind to Mbappe or Madrid.
Benzema, who swapped Los Blancos for Saudi Pro League giants Al Ittihad in 2023, believes he has the answer as to why Mbappe has endured a slightly more disappointing start to life in Spain.
“The problem for me is that Mbappe is not a centre forward,” he told El Chiringuito TV.
“Every time he plays for France as a ‘9’ he is not good, it is not his position. The problem is that on the left there is another player who is at the same level as him. You can’t put Vini on the right or as a centre forward, where he makes a difference is on the left. Let’s see how Ancelotti does that.
“Mbappe is not a ‘9’. There is a lot of pressure at Real Madrid, this is not PSG. A piece of advice? He shouldn’t give up.
“I don’t think Ancelotti is going to move Vinicius, he’s the best in the world right now in that position. Mbappe has to get it into his head that he has to be a ‘9’ and forget about the left. He’s been very good on the left and now he has to be good somewhere else.
“My situation in my first year and Kylian’s is different. I was 21 and he is 25, it’s not the same. He knows that there is a lot of pressure at Real Madrid. If you don’t score a goal in two or three games, they’ll kill you. He has to learn to live with that. He has to put up with that pressure.
“Every game is new and you have to score goals, they brought him for that and he has the level for it.”
Mbappe has still so far found the back of the net eight times in 14 appearances for Madrid but remains a long way off the 44 he scored in 48 games for PSG last season.
