Mbappe was introduced as Real found themselves chasing the game. He was unable to make a telling contribution and was clearly frustrated after the final whistle blew. The prolific attacker wanted nothing to do with Barca and their celebrations.
Real boss Xabi Alonso told reporters afterwards of Mbappe having to make peace with playing an impact role in a game that saw more silverware come up for grabs: “He wasn’t ready to start with the intensity the match was going to have, and that’s why we decided against it. Kylian was supposed to come on just before we conceded the 2-3.
“We wanted him to create imbalance, a threat, to link up with him between the lines and in space. He gave us that a little later. It’s a shame we were already behind on the scoreboard, but we wanted to press with him in attack.”
Another disappointing result has piled more pressure on Alonso, who continues to face uncomfortable questions during his debut season at the Bernabeu helm. He has, however, downplayed the importance of losing in a one-off fixture outside of Spain.
Alonso said: “We have to turn the page as quickly as possible. It’s just one match, one competition, and of all the ones we have, it’s the least important. We need to look ahead, try to get players back, and improve our morale. And keep moving forward.”
