Real Madrid
Kylian Mbappé makes Real Madrid confession after another penalty miss in Athletic Club defeat
Mbappé has missed from the spot in two of his last three games, both of which have ended in defeat for Carlo Ancelotti’s team.
Real Madrid missed the chance to keep the pressure up on Barcelona at the top of LaLiga, slumping to a 2-1 defeat away to Athletic Club in Bilbao, with Kylian Mbappé missing a second penalty in three games.
Carlo Ancelotti’s team would have remained a point behind Barça with a game in hand had they won at San Mamés but their loss means the Catalans remain in the driving seat…although only just.
Mbappé‘s bad week in Liverpool and Bilbao
Álex Berenguer put Athletic ahead early in the second half before Mbappé squandered two big opportunities to equalise. First, he shot straight at Julen Agirrezabala when all along inside the penalty area 10 minutes before his tame spot-kick was parried by the goalkeeper.
Exactly a week earlier, the French attacker had seen an almost identical penalty saved by Liverpool’s Caoimhin Kelleher, also when Madrid were 1-0 down in the second half of their 2-0 Champions League defeat to Arne Slot’s team.
Like at Anfield, the miss proved extremely costly as Athletic went on to win the contest despite Jude Bellingham briefly levelling.
Mbappé‘s defiant message after penalty miss
After the game, Mbappé took to Instagram to confess that his penalty miss played a huge part in deciding Real Madrid’s fate. The 25-year-old did, however, vow to bounce back, with “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” very much his message.
“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,” the attacker posted in English.
The former Paris Saint-Germain star has scored 10 goals (and provided two assists) in 19 games since joining Real Madrid, a fine return for most strikers but arguably not for a player considered to be one of the best in the world in the last few years.
Mbappé and Madrid will quickly have an opportunity to put things right as they are back in action on Saturday (December 7), travelling to Girona in LaLiga (kickoff at 3pm ET).
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