Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has said Kylian Mbappe is “sad and disappointed” after he missed his penalty kick in the defeat to Athletic Bilbao in La Liga. It was the Frenchman’s second penalty miss for Los Blancos in the span of a week.
Reigning Spanish champions Real Madrid dropped three crucial points on Wednesday, December 4, as they succumbed to a 2-1 defeat to Athletic Bilbao at San Mames. The defeat could prove costly in the title race, as it allowed Barcelona to maintain their four-point advantage over Los Blancos at the top of the La Liga rankings. The Whites, however, can bring the deficit down to a point if they win their game in hand.
Alex Berenguer scored the opening goal for Athletic in the 54th minute, capping off a well-worked move. Five minutes later, Rodrygo cut the ball back for Mbappe inside the area. The Frenchman failed to apply the finish, with his shot going straight at the goalkeeper. In the 68th minute, Mbappe had a glorious opportunity to make amends as Madrid won a penalty following a foul on Antonio Rudiger.
Mbappe, who missed his penalty against Liverpool, attempted a similar shot, medium-low and toward the right corner. The goalkeeper guessed the right away and kept out his effort.
Jude Bellingham did equalize for Real Madrid in the 78th minute, but Athletic were back ahead just a couple of minutes later.
Kylian Mbappe Is Going Through a Difficult Moment But Real Madrid Has Full Faith in Him
After the game, Mbappe took to Instagram, saying he was enduring a difficult patch.
He wrote:
“Bad result. A big mistake in a match where every detail counts. I take full responsibility for it. A difficult moment but it’s the best time to change this situation and show who I am.”
Coach Ancelotti admitted Mbappe was not at his best but refused to pull support.
“I won’t evaluate the performance of a player because of a missed penalty,” Ancelotti said about Mbappe.
“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. You have to give him time to be able to do better.”
It will be interesting to see how Mbappe goes about making amends when Real Madrid returns to La Liga action against Girona on Saturday, December 7.
