Former Real Madrid captain Karim Benzema has explained why Kylian Mbappé has struggled to make an immediate impact in the Spanish capital, focusing on a problem manager Carlo Ancelotti could have when it comes to team selection.
The French forward made the long-awaited move from Paris Saint-Germain this summer, joining Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Junior. He arrived on the back of his La Liga and Champions League title-winning season, but so far the 2024/25 season has not been so 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 Mbappé has had a slightly more disappointing start to life in Spain.
"The problem for me is that Mbappé is not a center forward," he told El Chiringuito TV. "As long as he plays in the France team as 9, it 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. We cannot put Vin on the right or as a center forward, where he makes the difference is on the left. We'll see how Ancelotti does.
"Mbappé is not a 9". There is a lot of pressure on Real Madrid, it is not PSG. Any tips? You must not give up.
"I don't think Ancelotti will transfer Vinicius, he is the best in the world at the moment in this position. He was very good on the left and now he should be good elsewhere.
"My situation in my first year and Kylian are different. I was 21 years old and he is 25, it is not the same. He knows that there is a lot of pressure at Real Madrid. If he does not score in two or three games, they ". I will kill him. He has to learn to live with it. He has to face this pressure.
"Every game is new and you have to score goals, they brought him for that and he has the level for that."
Mbappé has also found the back of the net eight times in 14 appearances for Madrid but is a far cry from the 44 goals he scored in 48 games for PSG last season.
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