After a period of adjustment following his blockbuster move from Paris Saint-Germain, Kylian Mbappé is finding his groove with Real Madrid. The 24-year-old French phenomenon has overcome early injury setbacks to emerge as a key figure in manager Carlo Ancelotti’s plans, notching 13 goals across all competitions.
Mbappé opened the scoring in Los Blancos’ 3-0 triumph over Pachuca in the FIFA Intercontinental Cup final on Wednesday. The strike marked his fifth goal in the last seven matches, signaling that the fleet-footed forward is rounding into top form as the calendar flips to 2025.
Mbappé’s period of adaptation has finished. He’s now at his best, but he can still improve.
Carlo Ancelotti, Real Madrid Manager
Forging a Fearsome Attacking Trident
Ancelotti has expressed excitement over the burgeoning on-field relationship between Mbappé and fellow attacking stars Vinícius Júnior and Jude Bellingham. Injuries have limited the trio’s time together, but the early returns are promising.
The Italian tactician has empowered his forwards with positional freedom rather than fixed roles, encouraging them to interchange and combine in the final third. When in sync, Mbappé, Vinícius, and Bellingham have the potential to form one of the most devastating attacking units in world football.
Consistency is Key
As scintillating as Mbappé can be, Ancelotti sees room for growth in terms of consistency. “His best characteristic is finding space and getting into the box,” the manager noted. “That’s what he needs to do more frequently.”
If Mbappé can regularly showcase his world-class combination of skill and athleticism, it bodes well for Real Madrid’s trophy aspirations. Los Merengues are in the thick of a compelling LaLiga title race alongside rivals Barcelona and Atlético Madrid.
Chasing a Competitive Crown
Ancelotti anticipates the chase for the Spanish top-flight crown will go down to the wire in a hotly-contested campaign. “I think it will be a much more competitive league than in recent years,” he predicted, tipping Atlético as a serious challenger to the Clásico clubs’ dominance.
- Real Madrid’s Reinforcements: Los Blancos injected their aging core with young talents like Mbappé, Bellingham, and 17-year-old Endrick, one of Brazil’s most hyped prospects in years.
- Barcelona Building Chemistry: Xavi’s rebuilt Barça is starting to gel after a summer of sweeping changes, with Robert Lewandowski leading the line and creative forces like Raphina and Pedri pulling the strings.
With a in-form Mbappé leading the line, Real have the firepower to see off all comers. But in a grueling campaign on multiple fronts, squad depth and rotations will be critical.
The Frenchman’s return to full fitness is a massive boost for Ancelotti’s men as they look to add to an already bulging trophy case. If Mbappé and company can live up to their immense potential, 2025 may well be the year of the Galáctico.
