Kylian Mbappe’s LaLiga Debut for Real Madrid Ends in Frustration with Draw Against Mallorca

Mbappe’s First Outing for Los Blancos Falls Short as Real Madrid Held to 1-1 Stalemate

Kylian Mbappe made his much-anticipated LaLiga debut for Real Madrid on Sunday, but the French superstar’s first appearance for Los Blancos ended in disappointment as they were held to a 1-1 draw against Mallorca.

Real Madrid started strongly, with Rodrygo putting Carlo Ancelotti’s side ahead after just 13 minutes. However, they struggled to maintain their lead and were pegged back in the second half by a Vedat Muriqi equalizer.

Despite Mbappe’s presence on the field, he had a relatively subdued performance, earning a FootballCritic rating of 6.8, a score that was on par with many of his teammates and slightly better than Vinicius Junior’s 6.5, even though the Brazilian provided an assist.

Playing as a center-forward—a position Mbappe has previously admitted is not his favorite compared to playing from the wing—he still managed to be involved, registering 13 touches in the box, taking four shots (with two on target), completing three dribbles, and maintaining an 81% pass accuracy from his 31 attempts. However, his total of 44 touches was the lowest among Real Madrid’s outfield players, reflecting the challenges of his role in the match. He also lost possession 11 times, though this was fewer than Vinicius Junior’s 24 turnovers.

Real Madrid’s collective defensive performance came under criticism from Ancelotti, who pointed out that the team’s issues were not confined to any specific area. “You can think that it is the forwards’ fault, but it could also be the defense’s fault, the midfielders’ fault, who do not help with the pressure that the forwards make… It is not a problem of one, two, or three. It is a team problem,” Ancelotti remarked. He acknowledged that Mallorca played a better defensive game and conceded that the draw was a fair result.

Pundit Sergio Sauca of Tablero Deportivo noted that despite the overall disappointing result, Mbappe was the most dangerous player on the pitch, while Jude Bellingham faded from the game. Sauca also suggested that Ancelotti could have made tactical changes earlier in the match to turn the tide.

Real Madrid will be looking to regroup as they continue their LaLiga campaign, with high expectations still resting on Mbappe to deliver in the matches to come.

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