Kylian Mbappé acknowledged that he is currently facing challenges after missing another penalty kick, contributing to Real Madrid’s 2-1 defeat against Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday, which allowed Barcelona to extend its lead in the Spanish league.
In the 68th minute, Mbappé’s penalty attempt was saved by Athletic goalkeeper Julen Agirrezabala, who dived to his right to stop the shot. The match took a further turn when Federico Valverde lost possession in a critical moment, allowing Gorka Guruzeta to score the winning goal for Athletic in the 80th minute.
“Bad result,” Mbappé expressed on Instagram. “A big mistake in a match where every detail counts. I take full responsibility for it. It’s a difficult moment, but it’s also the best time to change this situation and show who I am.”
Earlier in the match, Mbappé had a goal disallowed for offside in the 13th minute. This latest penalty miss follows his failure to convert a spot-kick in Madrid’s 2-0 loss to Liverpool in the Champions League last week. Although he did not take a penalty in the league match on Sunday, he did score in a 2-0 victory over Getafe, which had alleviated some pressure on him and the team. However, his performance against Athletic was another disappointment in what has been a challenging first season since joining the club.
Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti defended Mbappé, stating, “I won’t evaluate the performance of a player because of a missed penalty. Obviously, he is sad and disappointed, but you have to move on. He is not at his best level, but you have to give him time to adapt.”
Ancelotti also addressed Valverde’s error, which led to the decisive goal, emphasizing that mistakes are part of the game. Valverde lost control of the ball while attempting to maneuver past two Athletic players instead of passing to a teammate, setting up Guruzeta for an easy run into the area.
Athletic took the lead in the 53rd minute through Álex Berenguer, but Jude Bellingham equalized for Madrid in the 78th minute before Guruzeta’s late winner sealed the match.
The defeat leaves Real Madrid four points behind Barcelona, which secured a 5-1 victory over Mallorca on Tuesday, ending a three-match winless streak. Madrid, which has a game in hand, had previously won three consecutive league matches following a 4-0 loss to Barcelona in the “clasico.”
Overall, Madrid has struggled recently, losing five of its last 11 matches across all competitions. The victory for Athletic propelled them to fourth place in the league, marking their fourth consecutive win in all competitions.
Both matches on Tuesday and Wednesday were rescheduled in anticipation of the Spanish Super Cup in January.
In Copa del Rey action, first-division clubs Rayo Vallecano, Valencia, and Real Betis advanced past lower-division teams in the second round. However, Villarreal suffered a 1-0 defeat to fourth-division Pontevedra, while Girona was eliminated on penalties by Logrones, also from the fourth tier.
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