Mbappé's Penalty Miss Leads to Real Madrid's 2-1 Loss to Athletic Bilbao
Kylian Mbappé is enduring a tough spell at Real Madrid, with his penalty woes taking center stage during the club's recent 2-1 loss to Athletic Bilbao at San Mamés on December 4, 2024. The French star had an opportunity to level the match after a foul on Antonio Rüdiger in the 68th minute, but his weak penalty was easily saved by Athletic's goalkeeper Julen Agirrezabala. It was a missed chance that added to the pressure mounting on the striker, who had already missed a penalty in Madrid's recent Champions League defeat to Liverpool.
The frustration of missing such a crucial penalty was palpable, and it was not long before social media was flooded with memes mocking Mbappé’s poor form from the spot. One commentator, Spanish journalist Antonio Romero, was particularly harsh, remarking, “He kicked it worse than my eight-year-old son,” as he vented his anger over the miss.
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Mbappé’s troubles did not end with the penalty. Despite his undeniable talent, his performance on the pitch was lackluster. He failed to create any significant impact during the game, and his efforts were repeatedly thwarted by Bilbao’s defense. He had two clear goal-scoring opportunities—one of which was ruled offside, while the other was comfortably saved by Agirrezabala. In total, he lost possession 14 times, only managed two successful dribbles out of five attempts, and missed two big chances. His poor display on the night mirrored his recent struggles, where he has now missed five out of his last 14 penalties, with three of those coming during his time at Paris Saint-Germain.
Mbappé's penalty misses have been a significant concern, especially after his earlier success in scoring three penalties in the 2022 World Cup final. His failure to convert from the spot has left many questioning his confidence. Even though his teammates, like Jude Bellingham, offered him words of encouragement, the French forward's recent form has cast a shadow over his standing at the club.
The loss to Athletic Bilbao was another blow for Real Madrid, who are now four points behind Barcelona in the Spanish La Liga standings. The game also saw a costly error from Federico Valverde, who lost possession in the 80th minute, leading to Gorka Guruzeta’s decisive goal for the home side. Despite a late equalizer from Bellingham, the mistakes piled up, and Madrid ended the match empty-handed.
Manager Carlo Ancelotti defended his players, including Mbappé, acknowledging that errors are part of the game. “We must keep moving forward,” Ancelotti said. “Mbappé is disappointed, but he must look ahead.” Meanwhile, the absence of Vinícius Júnior due to injury left Madrid even more reliant on Mbappé to provide the spark in attack. However, his recent performances are far from what was expected of him after his high-profile summer transfer to Madrid.
Mbappé is clearly in a difficult period, but as he himself admitted in an Instagram post after the game, “It’s a tough moment, but it’s the best time to change this situation and show who I really am.” The coming weeks will be crucial for the Frenchman to regain his confidence and rediscover his form, or risk facing more criticism from fans and pundits alike.
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