Can Kylian Mbappe's first season at Real Madrid be considered a success?

With one game left of the current LaLiga season to play, Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe is odds-on to end the campaign as the top scorer in the Spanish top-flight, also known as the 'Pichichi' award, and could even topple Viktor Gyokeres in the race for the European Golden Boot.

The Frenchman's protracted move from Paris Saint-Germain to the Spanish capital finally became a reality last summer, and with Los Blancos being the reigning league and Champions League holders at that time, Mbappe's capture felt like a pivotal moment.

Real Madrid unveil Kylian Mbappe during a presentation at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in MadridIsabel Infantes / PA Images / Profimedia

A player who had consistently scored goals throughout his career was going to become the focal point of another all-conquering Real side. Or so everyone thought.

Mbappe has certainly kept his side of the bargain in terms of goals scored. In LaLiga alone, he has 29 from 33 games played and 40 in all competitions from 54 games. That's top-tier goalscoring in any language.

Mbappe's goals haven't always led to success

However, in all four Clasico matches played in 2024/25, his goals and general play haven't been enough to help his team to even a single point against their eternal rivals.

Of course, the World Cup winner can't solely be blamed for the failings of Carlo Ancelotti's team; however, in some of the big games where he was expected to make a difference, he didn't.

Kylian Mbappe celebrates after scoring against BarcelonaIPA, Independent Photo Agency / Alamy / Profimedia

He failed to score in four of his first five Champions League games against Lille, Dortmund, Milan and Liverpool, and aside from not scoring in the first league Clasico against Barcelona - a real humbling at the Santiago Bernabeu - he was caught offside multiple times in a disappointing performance.

A hat-trick against Manchester City in the premier European competition was a clear personal highlight, though Mbappe will surely feel aggrieved at not being able to affect things in a Champions League defeat against Arsenal, or that another treble in the final Clasico of the season meant nothing as Barcelona took all three points with a 4-3 win.

Booed by his own supporters

Being booed by his own fans is likely to have come as a huge shock to the system, too, but it isn't really his goalscoring that has caused angst in the stands.

To date, Mbappe has made just 15 tackles in all competitions, and a success rate of only 62.5% tells its own story. Couple that with only five interceptions made in his 54 games played and one starts to build up a picture of a player that has a lot to improve upon in terms of his defensive responsibilities.

Kylian Mbappe's total passes against Barcelona in the final Clasico of the 2024/25 seasonOpta by StatsPerform

For someone who clearly has a decent amount of upper body strength, that he's lost 169 of his 302 duels to give him a pathetic 44% success rate in LaLiga simply isn't good enough for a player of his calibre.

Too similar to Vinicius Jr?

With a similar playing profile to Vinicius Junior, there was always a chance that the pair would take a while to see their partnership blossom. Making the same runs and getting in the same positions has been a reasonably regular theme throughout the season, and that has undoubtedly caused issues.

Strikers live for goals, of course, and that single-mindedness is often at the expense of playing a simpler ball to a teammate. In fact, both Vini Jr. and Mbappe have been guilty of being selfish on multiple occasions this season, and it's difficult to argue that it's cost Real in certain games.

Indeed, when the 26-year-old should really have been looking to pass into the channels or in behind defences - because Vinicius, Jude Bellingham or Rodrygo had made a potentially decisive run, for example - records indicate that there had been a significant drop-off in passing output from him.

Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr and Kylian Mbappe make the same run during the match against Barcelona on May 11thAlberto Estevez / EPA / Profimedia

A case in point would be the first league Clasico.

Although his pass completion rate was a monstrous 95.5% at the Santiago Bernabeu - his best of the season - he did only make 22 passes in the entire match. His three goals scored in the final Clasico also don't take away from the fact that he made only nine passes in that game.

Compare that output to 91 passes attempted against Espanyol and 73 passes at Atletico Madrid, even if these came with a much lower success rate.

Individual brilliance must give way to team ethic

In essence, there have been flashes of individual brilliance from the player, but the multiple opportunities to offer so much more this season haven't been taken.

When the review of the season is conducted, the club hierarchy therefore need to decide if Mbappe is to be seen as an out-and-out striker and judge him solely on his goals, or take a broader view on what he does or doesn't bring to the team and make suggestions for next season accordingly.

Ultimately, any player's shortcomings can be glossed over when Real Madrid are winning trophies, but that hasn't been the case this season, and so Mbappe has been made a scapegoat in some quarters.

Real Madrid celebrate winning the UEFA Super Cup - their only trophy of the 2024/25 seasonANP, ANP / Alamy / Profimedia

A UEFA Super Cup is all that the club have to show for their efforts in 24/25, so it's right that questions need to be, and will be asked.

PSG could win the Champions League without Mbappe

Another twist in the tale, of course, is that without Mbappe, his former employers PSG have gone on to reach the Champions League final and could win it for the first time ever.

“I was brave when I told you last season that we would have a better team in attack and defence (without Mbappe),” PSG manager, Luis Enrique, said back in February when asked about the player's departure.

“I continue to say that, and the numbers are there to show it.”

Perhaps there's a lesson here to be learned by Real Madrid...

Jason PettigroveFlashscore

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