Real Madrid have issued an injury update on star striker Kylian Mbappe ahead of their meeting with Benfica on Tuesday night. The Spanish giants play the Portuguese side in their Champions League playoff clash as the two sides vie to secure a spot in the last-16 of Europe's elite club competition. The fixture sees the sides meet just weeks after Benfica's dramatic 4-2 win over Los Blancos in the group phase.
Real Madrid have been handed a major boost ahead of their crucial La Liga meeting with Real Sociedad as Kylian Mbappe returned to first-team training on Friday. The Frenchman’s presence on the grass at Valdebebas appears to have cooled the immediate panic following a fresh injury scare that saw him miss two consecutive days of preparation.
Real Madrid have been rocked by a fresh injury scare as Kylian Mbappe missed training for the second day running. The Frenchman is struggling with recurring knee discomfort ahead of Saturday’s clash with Real Sociedad. With a massive Champions League tie against Benfica on the horizon, manager Alvaro Arbeloa faces a nervous wait to see if his talisman will be fit to lead the line in the capital.
Kylian Mbappe was fuming at the match officials during Real Madrid’s win over Valencia, with the France international caught on camera calling the fourth official a “d*ckhead” during a heated half-time exchange. The World Cup winner wanted some questionable decisions to be explained to him at the Mestalla, but was left frustrated by a lack of communication from those calling the shots.
Kylian Mbappe is “on track” to emulate Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid, claims Los Blancos boss Alvaro Arbeloa, with the French superstar being backed to chase down a record-breaking tally of goals at the Bernabeu. Mbappe was on target in his latest appearance - a 2-0 victory over Valencia - and has reached 82 efforts in total for the Spanish heavyweights.
Alvaro Carreras scored a memorable goal and Kylian Mbappe added a late second to carry an otherwise mixed Real Madrid past Valencia, 2-0. Los Blancos were well short of their best in a tricky Sunday night fixture, but a duo of second half goals spared any blushes, and ensured that they are very much in the title race after a winter slump.
Kylian Mbappe has sent a bailiff to Paris Saint-Germain to demand €5.9 million from his former employers, with the club now facing a deadline of eight days within which to pay the striker. The Ligue 1 giants have already paid out €55 million (£48m/$65m) of a €60.9m (£53m/$72m) settlement.
Didier Deschamps has launched a passionate defence of Kylian Mbappe, insisting the Real Madrid superstar will never run "11 kilometres per match" but remains a "true captain" for his country. The France boss hit back at ongoing criticism of the forward’s work rate, claiming his explosive profile requires a different tactical approach to get the best out of him for Les Bleus.
Barcelona president Joan Laporta has reignited the fierce war of words with bitter rivals Real Madrid, publicly mocking the penalty that gifted Kylian Mbappe a late winner against Rayo Vallecano. The outspoken Catalan chief was spotted openly ridiculing the decision, labelling the incident a "dive", suggesting that Alvaro Arbeloa's side are benefitting from favourable officiating as tensions between the two clubs reach boiling point.
A late, if rather fortuitous, Kylian Mbappe penalty bailed out Real Madrid as they edged Rayo Vallecano, 2-1, on Sunday. Los Blancos were poor for most of the game, but a spot-kick deep into second-half stoppage time, converted by Mbappe, handed them a narrow win to stay within a point of Liga leaders Barcelona. Vinicius Jr also found the net in what was an unconvincing victory at the Bernabeu.
Antony has placed himself among the continent's best with his performances in Europe for Real Betis since leaving Manchester United a year ago. After being deemed surplus to requirements at Old Trafford by ex-head coach Ruben Amorim, the winger joined Betis on an initial loan - making an immediate impact to earn a permanent transfer in the summer. The Brazilian is continuing to impress in 2025-26.
Kylian Mbappe has accused his Real Madrid team-mates of lacking “desire”, with the Blancos looking anything but a “team of champions” when suffering a costly European defeat at Benfica. An “embarrassing” goal was conceded there, to the home side’s keeper, and the Liga giants will now have to navigate their way through the Champions League knockout play-offs.
So there we have it! After a mammoth 144 games that included plenty of goals and drama, the curtain has been drawn on the league phase of the 2025-26 Champions League. Arsenal finished top of the table with a perfect record, while Manchester City secured automatic qualification to the round of 16 by the skin of their teeth. But three historic European giants have been eliminated already, in the form of Napoli, Marseille and Ajax.
Kylian Mbappe has seen a Premier League move speculated on for some time, and fellow Frenchman Bacary Sagna has told GOAL why Arsenal could be the perfect landing spot if ties are ever severed with Real Madrid. Mbappe is living his professional dream in Spain for now, but a day might come in which he fancies packing his bags for the English top-flight.
The Champions League league phase drew to a predictably chaotic conclusion on Wednesday, with all of the matchday eight fixtures kicking-off at the same time. The net result was numerous positional changes over the course of 90-plus minutes of madness, though the highlight was undoubtedly Anatoliy Trubin scoring a last-second header to keep Benfica in the competition.
An improbable Anatoliy Trubin header in second-half stoppage time capped off a remarkable 4-2 win for Benfica over a listless Real Madrid on Wednesday. Los Blancos had no answers for the Portuguese side and were thoroughly beaten on the road, meaning Alvaro Arbeloa's side will now face a play-off to secure a place in the Champions League last-16.
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