Yahoo Sports Karim Benzema identifies the main problem a key forward is facing at Real Madrid
Kylian Mbappe’s arrival at Real Madrid is proving to be a mixed blessing for Carlo Ancelotti. His arrival provides the Italian tactician with one of the best attacking players in the world, but fitting him into his team remains a challenge.
The main problem in this regard is that Kylian Mbappe operates at his best when playing on the left wing. However, Real Madrid already have Vinicius Junior who has locked a spot in this position, and Ancelotti wants Mbappe to play as a centre-forward.
As MARCA has reported, this problem was identified by the former Real Madrid striker, Karim Benzema, as he appeared in an interview. Talking about Mbappe’s issues at Real Madrid, the former Merengue striker said:
“The problem for me is that Mbappé isn’t a center forward. Every time he plays as a ‘9’ with France, he doesn’t perform well because it’s not his position. The issue is that there’s another player at his level on the left… and you can’t put Vini on the right or as a center forward; he makes the difference on the left. Let’s see how Ancelotti handles this.”
Benzema also had a piece of advice for his compatriot:
“Mbappé is not a ‘9.’ At Real Madrid, there’s a lot of pressure; this isn’t PSG. A piece of advice? He shouldn’t give up.”
“I don’t think Ancelotti will move Vinicius; he’s the best in the world right now in that position. Mbappé has to get it in his head that he needs to be a ‘9’ and forget about the left. He was great on the left, and now he has to excel in another spot.”
The Real Madrid legend went on to compare Mbappe’s situation with his own at the Merengue club:
“My situation in my first year and Kylian’s is different. I was 21, and he’s 25—it’s not the same. He knows there’s a lot of pressure at Real Madrid. If you don’t score in two or three games, they’ll come down hard on you. He has to learn to handle that. He needs to embrace that pressure. Each game is new, and he’s there to score goals—they brought him for that, and he has the talent for it.”
Mbappe has already experienced the warning that Benzema gave him in the last statement, as he has had a rather slow start to life at Real Madrid. Hopefully, these words from Benzema will help the Frenchman understand what he needs to succeed at his new club.
