Kylian Mbappe was on target in Real Madrid's 2-0 win over Valencia but some fans weren't impressed with the French attacker. Mbappe hit his 38th goal of the season, tapping home from close range in the 90th minute to seal a seventh straight La Liga victory for Los Blancos.
The 27-year-old started on the left wing due to Vinicius Junior's absence and he has now scored in six games in a row. It was Alvaro Carreras who gave the visitors the lead at the Mestalla in the 65th minute after going on a daring run before finding the back of the net.
Mbappe recieved plaudits from his teammates after continuing his red-hot form in front of goal. While his fellow Madrid stars were full of praise he failed to convince some members of the Estadio Bernabeu faithful.
Real Madrid fans unimpressed with Mbappe vs Valencia
Mbappe started the game in his preferred left wing position as he did for the majority of his spell at Paris Saint-Germain. While he bagged the second goal of the night his overall display concerned fans.
One fan felt pointed out his struggles in duels while highlighting the conversation around Vinicius Junior leaving:
"Kylian Mbappe Vs Valencia: 1/9 Duels Won, 1/5 Dribbles completed, 0/3 Crosses completed. 'Sell Vini, play Mbappe as a LW next to Haaland.'”
Mbappe's goalscoring clearly isn't enough for some fans who question his dribbling abilities. That was the opinion voiced by another fan:
"Mbappe is a mediocre 1v1 dribbler nowadays, bring out the statsbomb data. People in 2025, still think Kylian can be a out and out winger lmao, he's declined athletically and in general play. Absolutely pocketed there, if it's not a straight forward duel/footrace he struggles."
Another fan compared him to an aging Cristiano Ronaldo: "Mbappe has officially transitioned into what Cristiano did at 36."
Mbappe's display on the left wing had one fan hitting out at others calling for him to take the position on a regular basis:
"I hope this game was a good wake up call for people who are begging to build around Mbappe at LW. It will look even worse in big games when he has to chase around the opposition’s RB and help Carreras defensively."
One fan interestingly suggested Mbappe would benefit playing alongside a more proven number nine such as Erling Haaland rather than Gonzalo Garcia who led the line:
"Mbappe struggling at left wing isn’t that surprising considering the striker he’s playing off is Gonzalo Garcia. Give him someone good enough, like Haaland for example and you’d see something much closer to 2012 Cristiano levels."
Mbappe has been the most potent goalscorer in Europe over the past year and is leading the goalscoring ranks in La Liga with 23 goals in 22 games. He has been used as a number nine and it seems many want him to continue doing so rather than playing out on the left wing.
Kylian Mbappe entered the unknown
Mbappe is more than familiar with the left wing position having become PSG's all-time top goalscorer while mostly playing on the left of a front three. But last night was a night of unfamiliarity for the France captain.
Vinicius was suspended, and Jude Bellingham and Rodrygo were injured meaning they missed the win against Valencia. It was the first time Mbappe had played for Los Blancos without all three in the team.
The most interesting talking point is Vinicius' absence and Mbappe moving out to the left. There were many occasions when he drifted inside which forced Garcia to move on the outside.