Mbappe has cut a frustrated figure over recent weeks. He was less than impressed at seeing Real suffer a 4-2 defeat at Benfica that dropped them into the Champions League knockout phase play-offs - with Jose Mourinho’s side set to be faced again at that stage of elite European competition.
Mbappe said after seeing Benfica goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin compound Madrid’s misery when he scored a header in the 98th minute: “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.”