Kylian Mbappe`s highly anticipated first encounter against his former club, Paris Saint-Germain, ended not with a bang, but a whimper. Real Madrid`s humbling 4-0 defeat in the Club World Cup semifinals was an unexpectedly poor showing, and the French superstar himself seemed peripheral, managing just 27 touches throughout the entire match. For a player signed to redefine Real Madrid`s attack, this performance, his first start post-recovery from illness, immediately raised a crucial question: Was this a sign of things to come, or merely a tactical anomaly driven by circumstance?
The evidence suggests the latter. Real Madrid`s performance against PSG wasn`t just a bad day; it appeared to be a direct consequence of tactical necessity rather than choice. Forced into a traditional 4-4-2 setup due to suspensions and injuries to key personnel, coach Xabi Alonso`s side looked stifled and predictable. This formation, placing Mbappe alongside another forward without adequate midfield support or attacking width from deep, made it remarkably easy for PSG to control the game and limit space. It echoed tactical struggles seen under previous management when facing top-tier opposition – a system that works against lesser teams but falters when challenged by elite, organized defenses.
Tactical Flexibility: The Key to Unlocking Potential
Contrast this with Real Madrid`s more effective performances earlier in the tournament. Their success stemmed from employing a more dynamic, hybrid system – often resembling a 4-4-2 diamond or even a back three (3-5-2). This tactical approach effectively leverages attacking wing-backs, allowing players like Francisco Garcia and, crucially, Trent Alexander-Arnold, to push high, create width, and deliver dangerous balls into the box. This system transforms defense into swift, chance-creating transitions and provides more natural avenues for the ball to reach the forwards in dangerous areas. It`s a breath of fresh air that has even revitalized players previously considered surplus to requirements, demonstrating the power of a system tailored to attacking talent.
The traditional back four, however, exposed vulnerabilities and contributed to a stale attacking flow against PSG. No one was effectively bridging the gap between defense and attack, leaving the forwards isolated. While the return of players like Dani Carvajal and Eder Militao provides more defensive stability and options, the key to unlocking Madrid`s attacking potential, and specifically Mbappe`s, seems inherently tied to adopting the more fluid, wing-back-focused system.
Mbappe`s Pathway to 50 Goals
This tactical distinction is crucial when assessing Mbappe`s scoring potential this season. Last season, despite what some analysts termed a less-than-perfect fit for the prevailing tactical approach, Mbappe still managed an impressive 43 goals and 5 assists. Imagine what he could achieve when consistently playing in a system designed to feed attacking players and create space. The prospect of Mbappe on the receiving end of Alexander-Arnold`s renowned, defense-splitting passes is particularly tantalizing. This kind of service, delivered from wide and deep areas by players comfortable pushing forward, is precisely what could elevate Mbappe`s already prolific output to extraordinary levels.
The loss to PSG, while disappointing, served as a stark tactical lesson. It wasn`t necessarily a indictment of Mbappe`s ability or the team`s overall potential, but rather a demonstration of how quickly performance can drop when the optimal system is disrupted by external factors like injuries. With key defensive players regaining fitness and depth available (Antonio Rudiger, Dean Huijsen, Raul Asencio, Aurelien Tchouameni can all cover defensively, allowing tactical flexibility), Real Madrid should have the personnel needed to consistently deploy the more effective hybrid or back-three structure. Provided they can maintain tactical consistency and leverage the creative outlets available in that system, the prospect of Kylian Mbappe reaching or even exceeding 50 goals this season remains not just possible, but highly probable. The PSG match was a setback, yes, but one that perhaps inadvertently highlighted the exact conditions required for their superstar to truly explode.
Adrian Whitmore