Mbappé: 50 Goals and Leadership in Madrid, Fulfilling Xabi Alonso’s Orders

Mbappé Drives Real Madrid to Victory in the Champions League

Kylian Mbappé, a key figure for Real Madrid, expressed his satisfaction at following the instructions of coach Xabi Alonso and his commitment to defensive work, after scoring two goals in the 2-1 victory against Marseille in the Champions League. American winger Timothy Weah put Marseille ahead in the 22nd minute at the Santiago Bernabéu. Mbappé equalized the score with a penalty seven minutes later. The match was marked by Dani Carvajal’s expulsion and another penalty goal by Mbappé, who scored his 50th goal in 64 appearances for Madrid.

Kylian Mbappé scored both goals for Real Madrid in the victory against Marseille.

“I feel very good. I don’t think about being one of the team leaders, I think about being myself, Kylian, I think about the team,” Mbappé told Movistar. “Xabi wants us to recover the ball faster. We have to understand what we do and then we are determined to do it, because we want to win”.

Kylian Mbappé

Mbappé highlighted his willingness to meet the coach’s demands, including high-block play and quick ball recovery, to generate scoring opportunities and contribute to the team’s success. The French striker has scored six goals this season, four in LaLiga and two in the Champions League.

“It has an incredible impact,” Alonso stated. “The team found the spirit of the Champions League at the Bernabéu… The expulsion (of Carvajal) was avoidable, it’s a shame, we’ll have to talk about it.”

Xabi Alonso

Alonso lined up Rodrygo and Franco Mastantuono as starting wingers against Marseille, leaving Vinícius Júnior on the bench for the second time this season. The goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois highlighted the changes in the team’s collective approach under Alonso’s direction, compared to the previous coach Carlo Ancelotti.

“The problem is when you don’t defend with eleven, with the whole team,” Courtois commented to Movistar. “The coach is now very focused on the wingers, and on Kylian, and on the attacking midfielders like Arda, for example. They have to get back behind the ball quickly, and that changes a lot, that’s the difference. We have to keep doing it.”

Thibaut Courtois

The next Real Madrid match in the Champions League will be on September 30 against Kairat Almaty, followed by a home match against Juventus on October 22.