Kylian Mbappe faces 'sky-high expectations' at Real Madrid as ex-France star says forward was wrongly blamed for struggles last season

Former Barcelona and Arsenal midfielder Petit has come to the defence of Mbappe, claiming that "people took the easy way out" by blaming the forward for all of Madrid's problems last term. Mbappe joined Real Madrid from Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer last summer, but failed to fire the 15-time Champions League winners to major silverware.

Mbappe had an unimpactful first half of the season during his debut campaign at the Santiago Bernabeu, missing crucial penalties in losses in the Champions League against Liverpool and in La Liga against Athletic Club. In fact, at one point, Mbappe was averaging a goal roughly every two games, a far cry from his ridiculously high output at Parc des Princes. He was also criticised for not forming an efficient partnership with Vinicius Junior, who was the preferred left winger as Mbappe played in the centre-forward position. However, the 26-year-old improved as the season wore on, scoring a hat-trick in the Champions League pre-round of 16 playoff against Manchester City. He also scored five goals in four appearances against rivals Barcelona - including a heartbreaking hat-trick at Camp Nou - although Madrid ended up on the losing side on all four occasions. Mbappe finished the season with a record-breaking 44 goals in 59 appearances in all competitions, winning the Pichichi and the European Golden Shoe awards for his 31 league goals.

In an interview with AS, Petit was asked whether PSG winning the Champions League immediately after Mbappe's exit from Paris and Madrid failing to defend their crown upon his arrival was a coincidence. 

In response, Petit said: "Last season, everyone at PSG (the board, the fans) said that, since he left, they finally had a real team, with soul. Everyone played for each other, and there were no selfish players on the pitch. And recently, it seems to have been proven that they were right to close the door on Kylian Mbappe, who also wanted to leave for Madrid. 

"I don't want to take the easy way out, because despite Real Madrid's problems last season, I think Mbappe had a good season. He scored a lot of goals. But, unfortunately, they were missing key players. Too many injuries, especially in midfield. When you lose [Toni] Kroos, when [Luka] Modric is no longer the same player, and you also lose defenders, everything gets complicated. Added to that were the ego clashes between Rodrygo, Vinicius, [Jude] Bellingham, and Mbappe, which didn't help either. 

"In many ways, it was a transitional season for Madrid. So all the attention fell on Mbappe. People took the easy way out, saying Madrid's problems were because of him: 'If we haven't had a great season, it's because Kylian left PSG — and then PSG wins the Champions League.' Perhaps the truth lies somewhere in between. But now, the pressure on him is even greater than last season. Don't forget that, when Mbappe left PSG, he went through difficult times off the pitch. He was in court against the club over financial issues; he was accused of several off-field issues. He had a lot on his mind. That's why this season will be very important for him. He knows he has to do something bigger than last year. He went to Madrid with one goal: to win the Champions League and the Ballon d'Or. And PSG won it instead. Expectations are sky-high, and this is also the season leading up to the World Cup. The pressure will be enormous, both for Madrid and for the French national team."

The former Monaco starboy has started the 2025-26 on fire, scoring three goals in Los Blancos' opening two league games. Xabi Alonso has been singing the striker's praises in press conferences, and the player looks sharper and more agile than he did during any stage last season. Madrid will be hoping Mbappe can continue delivering the goods, with Alonso's men set to lock horns with Mallorca at home on Saturday, in their final fixture before the international break.