‘Trying to Copy Him’ – Neymar at Source of Real Madrid Standout’s Recent Struggles, Pundit Claims

Kylian Mbappé has had a challenging 2024 personally. He couldn’t make much of an impact during the UEFA Champions League semifinal, where PSG was eliminated by Borussia Dortmund, and his performance at UEFA Euro 2024 was disappointing as well.

The struggles continued for Mbappé during the international break. He wasn’t able to turn things around for France, who lost 3-1 to Italy in their UEFA Nations League opener.

As a result, there are various opinions on what’s wrong with the player, and one pundit believes that the Frenchman wants to imitate a former PSG teammate, Neymar Jr., by attempting difficult plays rather than sticking to what works for him.

“When he’s on the ball, he tries some really challenging moves,” Kévin Diaz said on After Foot RMC (h/t Le10Sport). “Ever since he played with Neymar, it seems like he’s been trying to copy him with complex techniques. (…) Sure, Kylian Mbappé has great technical skills, but when you’re not feeling confident, it’s like Thierry Henry says: just stick to what you know and do it well.”

At Real Madrid, the forward had a tough time for three matches but finally found his groove with a brace against Real Betis. With the Champions League kicking off in a few days, it’s the perfect stage for Mbappé to prove he’s still at the top of his game.