Kylian Mbappe has been pivotal for Madrid this season. The 26-year-old striker has scored in his last 11 matches for club and country before Wednesday’s Champions League win over Juventus, contributing 10 of Madrid’s 20 La Liga goals so far—over half of their scoring output.
Yet, his journey with Madrid has had its ups and downs. In his first Clasico at the Bernabéu last year, Barcelona routed Madrid 4-0, with Mbappe struggling to navigate the Catalans’ high defensive line. The Frenchman had one goal disallowed for offside and was caught offside eight times. Spanish newspaper AS described him as “shrunken and without venom.”
Determined to change the narrative, Mbappe steadily improved. Despite Madrid falling 5-2 and 3-2 in subsequent cup finals, he found the net each time. By May, he was unstoppable, scoring a hat-trick against Barcelona, though Los Blancos still lost 4-3 at the Olympic stadium.
This season, the emergence of Turkish playmaker Arda Guler has strengthened Madrid’s attack. Alonso highlighted their growing partnership:
“Arda gets between the lines and there he finds Mbappe well.”
With Barcelona struggling defensively, Madrid believes Mbappe can exploit gaps and make the difference on Sunday.