A furious Kylian Mbappe delivered a damning verdict on Real Madrid’s Champions League shortcomings after a “terrible” 4-2 defeat to Benfica in Lisbon condemned them to the dreaded play off round for a second consecutive season.
The star striker, visibly seething in the mixed zone, didn’t hold back in his assessment of a performance that saw Madrid’s League Phase campaign end in disarray. “This is not a champion team,” Mbappe stated bluntly to reporters, as per Marca. “We don’t have continuity in the game, it’s a problem we have to solve. We can’t be there every other day.”
His frustration was palpable after a match where Madrid never looked in control. “We played terrible… Then losing 3-2, the fourth goal doesn’t change anything, it’s a bit embarrassing,” he admitted, pinpointing a lack of consistency as the core issue. “Last week we played good games, but not now. We have to have continuity. We lack a little bit of everything.”
The result leaves Alvaro Arbeloa’s side facing an unwanted two legged tie in February to reach the last 16, a scenario Mbappe called painful. “It hurts a bit because we wanted to have February to improve, but we deserve the position we are in.”
In a direct rallying cry to the disgruntled Bernabéu faithful, Mbappe pleaded for unity ahead of Sunday’s La Liga clash with Rayo Vallecano. “I ask the Bernabeu to go with the desire to support the team. We are not eliminated and in La Liga we are in a good dynamic. If the Bernabeu is with us we will play a good game.”
The comments represent the strongest public critique yet from within the dressing room this season and pile immediate pressure on interim boss Arbeloa. With the title race neck and neck with Barcelona, Madrid’s season now hinges on a swift response both on the pitch and in the stands.
