Jorge Valdano, the former Real Madrid star and ex-coach, hailed the goalscoring and leadership qualities of France's Kylian Mbappé after he fired Los Blancos to a 2-1 win over Barcelona in the Clasico, netting both goals at the Camp Nou.
According to Spanish newspaper Marca, Valdano and former Barcelona player Gerard Lopez discussed the key moments of the game on the Movistar Plus Deportes network. Both reserved special praise for Mbappé's impact at Real Madrid, while also assessing how the team changed in the absence of Brazilian Vinicius Junior.
Valdano: Mbappé is a leader
For Valdano, leadership in football goes beyond the captain's armband. He pointed to technical leaders and others who are emotional or social, each with their own way of influencing teammates.
He said of Mbappé: "How can the person who leads you to a goal in every match not be a leader?", stressing that scoring goals hands a player an exceptional influence within the team.
"Leadership means influence, and the person who scores a goal has a greater influence than anyone else, doesn't he?" he added.
The France striker is extremely intelligent, in Valdano's eyes. Mbappé imposes himself on his teammates without ever seeking the captain's role, simply because what he delivers on the pitch draws everyone's attention.
His season tells the story. Mbappé has scored 14 goals and provided three assists in 13 matches.
Lopez: Real Madrid have become better without Vinicius
Gerard Lopez, meanwhile, sparked controversy with his verdict on Real Madrid's display without Vinicius, who sat out the Clasico through a four-match suspension following the incident against Villarreal.
The former Barcelona player said: "Real Madrid are better after Vinicius's departure. This is the reality, the team is now more balanced".
"Without Vinicius, this team runs more and runs better", he added.
Lopez also singled out Yan Diomande, calling him the best player on the pitch.