A big reason why Real Madrid were able to beat a very stern, defensive side in Osasuna on Tuesday was Kylian Mbappe.
He not only scored the penalty - the only goal of the match - but also won it, and in general was one of the best players on the pitch.
He took home the man of the match award once again, and showed why Real Madrid need him as their talisman.
If you ignore the penalty, Mbappe was still head and shoulders above most on the pitch. He was creating chances out of nothing, he was dribbling past players at will and looked really dangerous.
Kylian Mbappe was amazing, and Xabi Alonso noticed that
Xabi Alonso noticed that on the pitch, but also gave fans and the media an anecdote from their talks together. He explained in the press conference the biggest difference between him now and him last season, through the talks he has had with him.
He said: “I feel like he wants more, you can tell from the first day. I don’t know if it’s because of the number 10, but it’s noticeable.”
That is something that every fan would like to hear. I mean, it must sting to get the move you have been dreaming for a while, only to lose out on all major trophies to either the team's biggest rivals, or his former club.
Barcelona won the league and Copa Del Rey, whereas PSG won the Champions League. It was simply not working out for Mbappe, and I guess he knew he had to do more.
Hopefully, that translates into even more goals, more defensive work, more involvement in the attack, and a bit more of everything. If Real Madrid want to win trophies this season, Mbappe will have to show up more than he did last season, and more consistently as well.
It has just been one game, but you begin as you mean to go on. That's the saying, right?