Missed Penalty: Mbappé Promises to Come Back Stronger

 Missed Penalty: Mbappé Promises to Come Back Stronger

The journey of time is often a mix of sweetness and hardship, and Kylian Mbappé’s two Instagram posts before and after Real Madrid's match against Athletic Bilbao perfectly capture that reality. In yesterday’s La Liga fixture, Real played in Bilbao, and before stepping onto the pitch, Mbappé shared a hopeful message on Instagram: "Going to San Mamés, nice to think about."

However, things took a different turn. After the match, Mbappé’s mood had shifted dramatically. In a post filled with frustration, he wrote, "Bad fruit. A big mistake in a match where everything counts. I take full responsibility for it. A difficult moment."

So, what exactly happened in the match to leave Mbappé in such despair? Real Madrid had the opportunity to close the gap with Barcelona at the top of the table, but they lost 2-1 away to Bilbao—a disappointing result for the team. Mbappé’s "big mistake" came when he missed a golden opportunity to turn the tide for Real. In the 68th minute, he failed to convert a penalty, which proved to be a pivotal moment in the match.

Before this, Real Madrid’s French star had already missed a penalty in a similar fashion against Liverpool in last Wednesday's Champions League match. Missing penalties in two consecutive games naturally raised questions about Mbappé's form. As a result, Mbappé has humorously earned the nickname "Miss Penalty!" from the 'TrollFootball' Instagram account, known for poking fun at football moments.

To understand why this title was given to Mbappé, two key statistics come to light. This marks the first time in his career that he has missed two penalties in a week. Additionally, both PSG and Real Madrid have missed a total of four penalties this year, and this is also the first time Mbappé has missed four penalties in a calendar year.

Despite this rough patch, Real Madrid's Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti has publicly supported Mbappé. Deflecting attention from the French star’s penalty miss, Ancelotti said in the post-match press conference, "I don’t analyze a player’s performance solely based on penalties. He needs time. He’s scored 10 goals and can certainly do better. He is also working hard."

But why hasn’t Mbappé been able to fully showcase his true potential at Real Madrid? One possible reason may lie in the words of his idol, Cristiano Ronaldo, who shared his thoughts in an interview with Rio Ferdinand a few months ago: “We have to see if his mind is right, if he can handle the pressure; I’ll tell you one thing, Real Madrid is not PSG.”

Perhaps, over time, Mbappé will learn to view Real Madrid in the same way he does PSG. The sooner he adjusts, the better it will be for him. However, Mbappé remains determined to prove himself to Real Madrid fans. He reassured them with a promise: “It’s a difficult moment. But this is also the best time to change this situation and show who I am.”

Since joining Real Madrid in July, Mbappé has scored 10 goals in 20 appearances for the club, but the journey to fully finding his rhythm continues.

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