Kylian Mbappé attributes his recent improvement at Real Madrid to a significant shift in his mentality. After a challenging start to his first season, the French forward is gradually fulfilling the high expectations that accompanied his high-profile transfer.
In a standout performance against Las Palmas, where Madrid secured a 4-1 victory despite the opposition being reduced to ten men, Mbappé scored twice, bringing his tally to four goals in his last four matches. Reflecting on a previous low point following a loss to Athletic Bilbao, Mbappé acknowledged that it was time for a mental reset. “After the game in Bilbao, I changed my mentality,” he stated. “I couldn’t do any worse. I hadn’t come to Real Madrid to play badly. I was well physically, so it had to be more of a mental change.”
Mbappé admitted that overthinking had hindered his performance upon his arrival. “I was thinking too much about everything, about how to do things, how to position myself on the field,” he explained. “When you think too much, you don’t play well. When you come to Real Madrid, you have to be humble. The team had just won a Champions League; I couldn’t arrive and demand the ball from everyone. You have to show respect.” Coach Carlo Ancelotti expressed satisfaction with Mbappé’s adaptation, advising him to return to the basics to alleviate his overthinking. “When a player can’t perform as well as he is used to, he tries to complicate things. And that doesn’t work,” Ancelotti noted.
In light of recent struggles, Ancelotti also addressed speculation regarding his future at the club, stating, “I’ll never decide to leave Madrid; that will never be up to me.” He acknowledged the uncertainties of coaching, indicating that his departure could happen at any time. Currently, Real Madrid finds itself in a precarious position, having lost half of its Champions League matches and sitting in 20th place in the new league phase. Ancelotti conceded, “We don’t have a lot of chances to make it into the top eight. But if we have to play the extra games, we will do it as best we can. We are used to a very demanding calendar already.” Only the top eight teams will advance directly to the round of 16 in the new format.
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