As Mbappe continues to seek financial remuneration from PSG, he is also still reeling from Real's 4-2 Champions League defeat to Benfica. Real did beat Rayo Vallecano 2-1 at the weekend, with Mbappe scoring a 100th-minute penalty to seal all three points.
Speaking post-Benfica, the France superstar took aim at his team-mates, telling reporters: “It isn't about quality, and it isn't about tactics. It's about having more desire than your opponent.
“You could see that everything was on the line for Benfica, and you couldn't see that for us, and that's a problem. Before the game, both teams had something to play for: us being in the top eight, and Benfica being among the 24. We saw it from Benfica, but you didn't see it from us.
“I don't have a clear explanation. It wasn't the same [at Benfica] as against Villarreal, and that's a problem. We aren't being consistent in our play. We have to solve that. We can't do it one day, and then not another. A team of champions doesn't do that. We have two more games, and that hurts a bit. We wanted to have time in February to work on our play, and instead we'll play the play-offs.”
He added: “What we did today was not normal. We had a clear goal of finishing in the top eight to have two fewer games and lighten the load, but we started very poorly.
“They deserved to score first. We had one chance and scored. I thought that would get us into the game, but it was the opposite. They were better and if they had gone into the break 5-1 up, it wouldn’t have surprised anyone.
“We came out with the intention of changing what had happened. We conceded a goal that hurts a little because it came from a direct play, and from there the game was over. When you’re a goal down, you try to push, but the opponent wastes time and that’s part of the game. We didn’t set the pace or show enough creativity to create clear chances.”
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