The Madrilenians will have to turn the tide in Munich this Wednesday in the Champions League quarter-finals return leg to avoid a blank season.
“I believe there is no better place to win titles,” Kylian Mbappé was right on point on the day of his presentation in Madrid on July 16, 2024. However, almost two years later, his words sound strangely off. Real Madrid, beaten at home by Bayern Munich last week (1-2), is with their back against the wall before their Champions League quarter-final return leg at the Allianz Arena this Wednesday (9 PM). If they do not overturn the Bavarian team, a rare blank season awaits them, as the La Liga title, the only other competition left for the Merengues, appears to be heading to FC Barcelona (9 points ahead with 7 matchdays left).
This was not what Mbappé had in mind when he joined the European football giants who have 15 Champions League trophies in their cabinet, including 6 between 2014 and 2024. During his first season in the Spanish capital, the French team captain was content with a UEFA Super Cup and a Intercontinental Cup. To make matters worse, Paris Saint-Germain, whom he faced numerous times in the Champions League (2017-2024), won the Champions League shortly after his departure.
“In today’s game, I find myself in the eye of the storm a bit more. I have always liked being in these positions,” motivated Mbappé last June. The reality is that with him, Real Madrid is not winning much… but it’s difficult to blame him. Last December 20, on his 27th birthday, he equaled Cristiano Ronaldo’s record for most goals in a calendar year (59) for a Real player. “He is one of the chosen ones,” marveled his coach Xabi Alonso. By mid-February, Mbappé had scored 38 goals in 31 matches for the season. Only his left knee slowed him down, preventing him from playing fully in the Spanish Super Cup final against Barcelona in January (substituted in the 76th minute, lost 3-2).
Alvaro Arbeloa, Real Madrid coach, pointed out about the persistent difficulties of the Madrid team: “It’s more about collective performance than individual talent.”
His injury was seen as a “dramatic loss” by the Madrid press. Missing a few games here and there allowed him to recover “100%” in his own words. Since then, his struggles have prevailed. Mbappé has only scored once in his last seven matches with Real. “He is lost,” alarmed Marca, although aware that the problem goes beyond his personal case. “We need to improve many things collectively, especially against teams that wait for us, give us little space, and do not press high,” analyzed Arbeloa, the Real coach since January 12.
Saving the Madrid season
The mere presence of the former defender on the bench illustrates the difficult period Real is going through, where his predecessor Xabi Alonso had only six months to prove himself, not a day more. Mbappé was a “constant threat” against Bayern, judged Arbeloa, even scoring on a precise cross from Trent Alexander-Arnold (74th minute). Much more will be needed to unsettle, in their own den, the future German champions (potentially this weekend), a steamroller, just like in their best years, armed with a rejuvenated Manuel Neuer, 40 years old.
To achieve this would surely signify a major feat for the Merengues, condemned by many observers even before setting foot in Bavaria. Achieving this could possibly save the Madrid season as much as possible before, for Kylian Mbappé, shifting focus to the highlight of his year – the World Cup (June 11-July 19). Perhaps the climax after a dream spring. Or more likely an escape to forget the troubles.
