why Kylian Mbappé approaches the Clasico with confidence

We left it on Saturday October 26, 2024, during the 11^e day of the Spanish championship, on a poor performance against FC Barcelona (0-4), marked (among others) by eight offside positions…and several missed attempts. Sunday evening, during the final of the Spanish Super Cup – which will be played in Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) – Kylian Mbappé will have the opportunity to make up for it since Real Madrid CF will meet the Blaugrana. To the delight of football fans.

FC Barcelona, ​​a team doing (very) well

Historically – apart from their match last October – the Barcelona team has done quite well for the French striker. That’s the least we can say. Under the colors of Paris SG, he has already faced it four times, during the round of 16 of the 2020-2021 Champions League and during the quarter-finals of the same competition in 2023-2024. For his first against the Catalan club, on February 16, 2021, the 2018 world champion made his mark by scoring a memorable hat-trick at the Camp Nou (1-4).

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Last April, he also distinguished himself in Barcelona with a double which allowed the Rouge et Bleu to qualify for the semi-finals of the C1. In total, Kylian Mbappé played five matches against FC Barcelona. And his statistics speak for him: six goals scored. This is as many as against the Girondins de Bordeaux and OGC Nice… whom he faced thirteen times. That shows if he likes playing against the Catalans.

A rise in power

Now, “KM9” must prove that he is capable of replicating these performances with Real Madrid CF. That’s good, after a (very) difficult start to the season – more in the game than in terms of statistics – he is gradually getting back into shape. Merengue supporters, visibly convinced by his four goals scored in all competitions, have just elected him best Madrid player of the month for December; he thus succeeds Jude Bellingham. Paradoxically, he seems to be doing (much) better since he hit rock bottom at the beginning of December when he missed a second penalty in a few days… as if he had used this bad patch to question himself.

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«He feels very good at the moment. It’s not from today but we’re starting to see a very good version of Mbappé. December was a very good month. He scored goals, he was more active», confirmed Carlo Ancelotti, Thursday evening, after the White House’s victory against RCD Mallorca (3-0) in the semi-finals of the Spanish Super Cup. Before adding: “What is his best level? I really don’t know. I don’t know how far his qualities go“. Sunday evening, Kylian Mbappé will have the opportunity to show his coach – and the world – that they go very far.

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