Real Madrid begins training next Monday in Valdebebas with Xabi Alonso having several tasks on his list after a Club World Cup in which many positive things were seen from the team, but which also left big questions and problems to be resolved. One of those unknowns is the performance of Kylian Mbappé under the new coach, as he was sidelined during the tournament in the United States and his return raised certain doubts that will have to be cleared up when competition resumes.
Mbappé pichichi and Golden Boot
Kylian Mbappé has been Real Madrid’s dream signing for many years. The Whites fought hard to sign him, coming up empty-handed summer after summer until the player became a free agent and fulfilled his dream by joining Real Madrid. The Frenchman’s story at the Whites has not been a case of hitting the ground running, but he ended the season with more than acceptable statistics, becoming the best debutant in the Whites’ history.
The start of the season was very uneven, he struggled to adapt and with the expectations created and being a team with the demands of Real Madrid, criticism was not long in coming. However, little by little he found his place at Real Madrid and began to shine, sustaining the team in a difficult month of March. The Frenchman ended the season with 44 goals to his name, winning the LaLiga Pichichi and the Golden Boot.
Kylian Mbappé has played 58 games for Real Madrid and scored 44 goals, spread across each of the seven official competitions contested by the club: LaLiga (31), Champions League (7), Copa del Rey (2), Spanish Super Cup (1), European Super Cup (1), Intercontinental Cup (1) and Club World Cup (1).
A World Cup jinxed
With the sweet taste of the top scorer title and the Golden Boot still fresh in his mind, he traveled to the United States for a Club World Cup in which he was completely jinxed. Mbappé was already feeling unwell before taking off for Miami on June 14. An initial discomfort gradually worsened, with fever and acute gastroenteritis that did not subside, so he was hospitalized on the night of Wednesday, June 18. His recovery continued at the team hotel and was a little slower than expected, as his condition caused him to lose weight and muscle mass.
He was slow to make his debut, and when he did so against Juventus, he looked somewhat lost with the team’s new style of play. He improved against Borussia, where he scored a great goal, but he continued to raise doubts about his adaptation to what Xabi Alonso wants from the team. This was evident against PSG, where his partnership with Vinicius was once again on display.
The emergence of Gonzalo
A new player has emerged in this story. With Mbappé out injured, Xabi Alonso took what seemed like a risky gamble in the Club World Cup, but it ended up being a masterstroke. We are talking about Gonzalo García, who appeared as an emergency solution and ended up being the top scorer of the tournament with four goals and one assist. Mbappé’s return to the starting line-up against PSG did not prompt Xabi Alonso to bench the youngster, but instead he played them both up front. It remains to be seen whether the young striker’s role will remain the same when they return to work, whether he will become a substitute and a substitute or whether he will end up leaving the club.
Xabi and his plan for Mbappé
It is true that Mbappé has had little time and the coach needs to work more with him so that in his second year his numbers improve and he wins the title that has eluded him, the Champions League. But what we saw in the Club World Cup makes it clear that there is still a lot of work to be done with the Frenchman. The team now plays with the lines closer together and further forward, as a block in defense and attack, and the striker must adapt to this. In the games he played in the World Cup, he looked a bit disconnected and not participating as much in defensive duties, so in the express preseason that is about to begin, Xabi Alonso’s main job will be to integrate the player into that dynamic. In addition, it remains to be seen how the coach will fit Vinicius and Mbappé into the team after what we saw against PSG, or whether he decides to dispense with one of them. Furthermore, as we mentioned, Gonzalo’s role in the attack will also be important to watch.