As the four players waited in the Mallorca tunnel to head back on the pitch, Bellingham’s analysis — picked up by a broadcaster’s microphone — couldn’t have been more candid. Yes, Madrid were leading 1-0, but they needed to be more clinical. “Because the run back…” Bellingham continued, smiling ruefully at the thought of having to put in more of a shift after an already exhausting first half, before swearing loudly.
Just 45 minutes into the new season, Real Madrid’s dilemma was perfectly summed up in a few words. How do you fit Mbappé into a side already packed with attacking threat? And can you do so without overworking the midfield and unbalancing the team?
That day, Bellingham’s plea went unheeded. Vedat Muriqi levelled for Mallorca; Madrid didn’t score again, and they dropped two points in their first game of their league title defence.
Madrid’s plan this season was supposed to be foolproof. Add Mbappé — a player who has averaged 39 club goals per season for Monaco and PSG since 2018 — to a team that last term won LaLiga by 10 points and beat giants such as Manchester City and Bayern Munich to claim the Champions League (again), and then steamroll the opposition.
So far, more has turned out to be less. Madrid haven’t been terrible — they’re second in LaLiga, three points behind Barcelona, and haven’t lost a domestic game going into Saturday’s El Clásico (stream LIVE at 3 p.m. ET on ESPN+) — but they haven’t regularly sparkled, either.
After the 1-1 draw at Mallorca, there was another at Las Palmas, and another at Atlético Madrid — a total of six valuable points dropped. In the Champions League, Madrid lost 1-0 at Lille, in their worst performance of the campaign. On Saturday, they beat Celta Vigo 2-1, thanks to two outstanding goals from Mbappé and Vinícius, but were fortunate and frequently outplayed as Celta created four “big chances” for a total xG (expected goals) of 1.69, compared with Madrid’s 0.74.
Tuesday’s 5-2 comeback win over Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League after being 2-0 down showed this team’s two, contrasting faces: a frustrating first half, followed by an irresistible second, led by Vinícius.
So, has the impact of Mbappé’s long-awaited arrival been more positive or negative? What other factors have contributed to Madrid’s uncertain start? And are they finally getting their act together in time to face Barcelona in their biggest game of the season?
Additional reporting from Rodrigo Faez, Gustavo Hofman and Julien Laurens
