Striker Kylian Mbappe admitted he was under a lot of pressure after three goalless matches for Real Madrid, before he was able to ‘open fire’ with a double to help his team beat Real Betis 2-0 on September 2 in round 4 of La Liga. “A goalless match is not enough for others, but for me it is too much. Real Madrid winning the championship is my goal. I have to score the goals I need to score,” Mbappe emphasized after scoring for the first time after three previous goalless matches and being heavily criticized and doubted.
Mbappe opened his La Liga scoring account in the 67th minute of the win over Real Betis, thanks to a beautiful assist from Valverde. The remaining goal to make the score 2-0 was scored from the 75th minute penalty spot, with striker Vinicius taking the responsibility for the free kick.
“Coach Ancelotti gave the responsibility for taking the penalty to Vinicius first and then me. But between us, we will decide. I want everything to be natural, not forced. Vinicius and I are both famous players. I have also learned a lot from him,” Mbappe explained.
In the 1-1 draw with Las Palmas on August 30, Vinicius was the one who took the penalty to score the equalizer for Real Madrid. The Spanish press has therefore discussed Mbappe’s role, claiming that he has to be overshadowed by his new teammate despite his greater reputation.
However, Mbappe appeared humble and natural. He expressed: “I came to this club naturally, with humility, wanting to have a good time and be happy on the pitch. I get along with my teammates and the club, with Vinicius and everyone else. We are an incredible group. Great people and also great players. Everything will improve. We will continue to strive for a great season.”
“I admit that after the first 3 matches of the season were not really smooth. Real Madrid need to find victory again and that is the first goal we need to achieve. The fans have always stood by the team and always put their trust in me.
I hope I will score more goals to repay their great support. I am not under any pressure, including comparisons with Cristiano Ronaldo. I always respect him, but I am Mbappe. The only pressure I have to go through is adapting to the team and I am gradually integrating,” Mbappe affirmed.
Real Madrid’s victory thanks to Mbappe’s double helped them close in on rivals Barcelona in the La Liga rankings with a gap of 8 and 12 points respectively. Barcelona won all 4 opening matches thanks to the brilliance of 17-year-old star Lamine Yamal, who scored 1 goal and contributed 4 assists. The Catalan team’s latest match was a record 7-0 win over Valladolid.
According to Marca (Spain): “With Mbappe having scored, the battle between this star and rising young talent Lamine Yamal promises to create the most exciting La Liga championship race. Meanwhile, the remaining star, Julian Alvarez of Atletico Madrid, is still looking for his first goal.” Atletico Madrid (8 points) also rose to third place right behind Real Madrid and Barcelona after the first four rounds of La Liga.