Would Erling Haaland Outperform Kylian Mbappe at Real Madrid?
Barcelona defeated Real Madrid 4-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu, frustrating Kylian Mbappe’s first El Clasico debut for Real Madrid. The French forward had a difficult time making an impression; he was caught offside eight times, which increased his season total to 17, the most among players in the top five leagues in Europe. Since then, France World Cup winner Emmanuel Petit has defended Mbappe, blaming the forward’s difficulties on Real Madrid’s midfield problems.
The Midfield Errors Causing Mbappe’s Challenges
Petit underlined that the midfield’s incapacity to successfully connect play with the front line was the main cause of Real Madrid’s attacking problems.
“Every time Luka Modric takes the field, you notice a difference.” Petit said, implying that Aurelien Tchouameni is now unable to match Modric’s vision and experience. Mbappe’s chances are limited by the space between the strikers and midfield created by the French midfielder’s failure to establish himself as the orchestrator Modric has become.
Would Haaland Work Better?
Erling Haaland and Mbappe have been compared more and more, with some speculating that Haaland’s poaching strategy would work better in Real Madrid’s setup. Petit, though, is skeptical that Haaland would have performed better in this specific El Clasico. He emphasized that the team’s issues go beyond Mbappe’s finishing by pointing out that even Haaland would find it difficult to take advantage of goal-scoring opportunities in the absence of sufficient midfield help.
