Sport

Mbappe & Vinicius Jr – a devastating partnership for Real Madrid.

Kylian Mbappe had a long time to imagine himself as a Real Madrid player. Indeed, the French forward was linked with a move to the Santiago Bernabeu for a number of years before the transfer finally materialised this summer. And yet Mbappe struggled to find his role in all-white early on this season.

Those struggles are now easing. Mbappe has scored eight goals in 12 matches for the Spanish giants with his strike in the weekend win over Celta Vigo arguably his most eye-catching. The Frenchman’s thunderous shot into the top corner was another reminder of the match-changing quality he possesses.

Carlo Ancelotti has faced a tactical conundrum integrating Mbappe. The 25-year-old likes to play off the left side where Real Madrid already had Vinicius Junior. Mbappe can play through the middle, but isn’t a natural frontman and had previously expressed his preference to operate on the left wing.

The risk with adding Mbappe to Real Madrid’s forward line was that they would become top-heavy. Last season, Jude Bellingham gave Los Blancos a different dimension with his runs into the box, but the England international is now being asked to play in a deeper role which is limiting his attacking influence.

There are questions over Rodrygo’s role in the Real Madrid attack. Reports over the Brazilian’s disgruntlement at being knocked down the pecking order by Mbappe have surfaced and it’s true that Ancelotti appears unsure about using him in the same team as Mbappe, Vinicius and Bellingham.

Most notable for Mbappe, however, is his growing partnership with Vinicius. On paper, the two attackers are similar in the way they are most dangerous when attacking open space from the left side, but by being so close in terms of their profile it seems they have a good understanding of one another’s game.

Mbappe and Vinicius are dovetailing nicely as a front two that is being afforded a lot of freedom by Ancelotti whose approach is designed to embolden the quality of his superstars. Increasingly, there is exchange play and intelligent movement from the pair with Celta Vigo the latest opponent to experience this, as they suffered a loss at Balaidos.

Tactically, Mbappe is being asked to start from a central position to keep the structure of Real Madrid’s attack, but his pace and mobility allows him to cover a lot of ground and make runs in behind the opposition backline. Ancelotti is building his forward line around the former Paris Saint-Germain player.

“I demand that Mbappe scores goals,” said Ancelotti after the 2-1 win over Celta Vigo which saw Real Madrid keep the gap to Barcelona at three points ahead of this week’s Clasico clash. “I prefer him to score goals than to press. I ask Mbappe what I asked Karim Benzema, that he be ready when we recover the ball.”

Real Madrid don’t need Mbappe to do a lot of pressing from the front. They are a team that usually sets up in a mid-block which demands opponents to play through a congested channel in the centre of the pitch. This approach asks the front two to hold their position and expend their energy in moments of quick attacking transition instead.

In possession, Mbappe has been isolated from the midfield unit in several matches this season, but this is in part due to Real Madrid missing Toni Kroos and the passing range the German brought. There is still areas where Los Blancos can improve with Mbappe in the team, but the Frenchman is forging the most devastating pairing in European football alongside Vinicius.