It would be an understatement to say that Kylian Mbappe's time at Real Madrid has not started off like one would have expected. The French World Cup winner had seen a penalty saved by Caoimhin Kelleher against Liverpool and could not convert from the spot once again, this time around vs Athletic Bilbao, as Los Blancos suffered a 2-1 defeat and let slip of a chance handed to them by FC Barcelona's recent shaky form.
Of course, many would argue that Mbappe needs time to settle in. But then, you expect arguably the best player in the world to have an immediate impact, which he has not done since joining Real Madrid.
The least you would expect is for Mbappe to be converting his penalty kicks. But after missing two on the trot, one has to question whether he should be taking any more for the foreseeable future unless Real Madrid are winning the game comfortably already and it is a good chance to give him some confidence.
Carlo Ancelotti does not seem to be ready to judge the summer signing based on his spot kick though. As reported by ESPN, the Real Madrid manager said:
"I shouldn't evaluate a player's game based on a penalty. Sometimes you score them, sometimes you don't. Obviously he's sad and disappointed, but we have to carry on."
Real Madrid boss makes claim about Kylian Mbappe's penalty miss
Mbappe's arrival has seemingly had a negative impact on this Real Madrid team. They are not a million miles away from the top of the league and salvaging the season is still very much a possibility.
However, Real Madrid look a lot more beatable now than they have in the past. And Mbappe's introduction into the team appears to have hurt the balance that they had last season, despite dealing with the same fitness issues.
Individually, Mbappe has not looked particularly impressive either. Perhaps it has to do with the weight that comes with the Royal White jersey. Hopefully, he is able to make the adjustment to life as a Real Madrid player as soon as possible.