- Former France midfielder Petit comes to Mbappe's defence
- Believes PSG exit was a "good thing" for the forward
- Claims Frenchman will be under immense pressure this season
AFPKylian Mbappe faces 'sky-high expectations' at Real Madrid as ex-France star says forward was wrongly blamed for struggles last season
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Advanced protection across 11 devices with high-speed VPN
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Those that sign up for ExpressVPN's most popular plan, the Advance plan, gain access to a high-speed VPN, which offers high-capacity 40Gbps servers in many high-demand locations, with VPN servers in 113 countries worldwide.
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Over 28 monthsSave 73%
Protect 14 devices with the top ExpressVPN plan
Pro
Those that sign up for ExpressVPN's top-tier Express Pro plan gain access to a high-speed VPN, which offers high-capacity 40Gbps servers in many high-demand locations, with VPN servers in 113 countries worldwide.
The VPN can be applied across 14 different devices simultaneously, and offers Advanced Protection that blocks ads, trackers and malicious and adult websites. A dedicated IP is included with the Express Pro plan.
Additionally, ExpressVPN's Advanced plan includes the ExpressMailGuard, which offers an unlimited private email relay plus an unlimited number of shared aliases and 20 custom domains, ExpressKeys, which gives users a password management facility for an unlimited number of passwords plus a 2FA authenticator, and ExpressAI, an AI assistant that offers 500 credits a day, six AI models, a web search facility plus 2GB storage.
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Over 28 monthsSave 67%
Protect 10 devices with high-speed VPN
Basic
Those that sign up for ExpressVPN's entry-level Basic plan gain access to a high-speed VPN, which offers high-capacity 40Gbps servers in many high-demand locations, with VPN servers in 113 countries worldwide.
The VPN can be applied across 10 different devices simultaneously, and offers Lite Protection that blocks ads and malicious and adult websites. A dedicated IP is available to be purchased as an add-on.
Additionally, ExpressVPN's Basic plan includes the ExpressMailGuard, which offers a 10MB/month private email relay plus 10 shared aliases.
There is a 30-day money-back guarantee for new users. The plan is available on a one-month rolling contract, although those that sign up for a 12-month plan (offering one year plus an extra three months) can save more than 60%, while those that sign up for a two-year plan (offering two years plus an extra four months) can save 80%.
Over 28 monthsSave 80%
Advanced protection across 11 devices with high-speed VPN
Advanced
Those that sign up for ExpressVPN's most popular plan, the Advance plan, gain access to a high-speed VPN, which offers high-capacity 40Gbps servers in many high-demand locations, with VPN servers in 113 countries worldwide.
The VPN can be applied across 12 different devices simultaneously, and offers Advanced Protection that blocks ads, trackers and malicious and adult websites. A dedicated IP is available to be purchased as an add-on.
Additionally, ExpressVPN's Advanced plan includes the ExpressMailGuard, which offers a 100MB/month private email relay plus 50 shared aliases and a custom domain, and ExpressKeys, which gives users a password management facility for an unlimited number of passwords plus a 2FA authenticator.
There is a 30-day money-back guarantee for new users. The plan is available on a one-month rolling contract, although those that sign up for a 12-month plan (offering one year plus an extra three months) can save more than 60%, while those that sign up for a two-year plan (offering two years plus an extra four months) can save 73%. Both longer-term plans include a 3GB holiday.com eSIM that is valid for three days in 150+ destinations.
Over 28 monthsSave 73%
Getty Images
THE BIGGER PICTURE
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.
Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR KYLIAN MBAPPE?
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.
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