Real Madrid may have the most fearsome attacking duo in Europe on paper, but getting Vinicius Jr. and Kylian Mbappe to truly complement each other on the pitch remains a significant challenge.
According to an update from MARCA, the Brazilian and French forwards are still searching for the spark that will make their partnership thrive.
Despite sharing the pitch for 47 matches last season, the pair only managed to score in the same match on just eight occasions.
Those games came against Real Sociedad, Espanyol, Celta Vigo (twice), Atalanta, Pachuca, Salzburg and Rayo Vallecano.
Worryingly, since the 9th of March fixture against Rayo Vallecano at home, Vinicius and Mbappe have not found the net in the same game.
Since then, they have featured together in 13 of the last 22 matches, but without the combined impact expected of them.
Their lack of connection is not just about scoring. While Vinicius has assisted five goals for Mbappe, the Frenchman has only returned the favour twice. For a club that demands the highest standards, those numbers are far from satisfactory.
These two are not just star players; they are meant to be the focal point of a new Real Madrid era.
But to lead the club to glory, they must figure out how to play for each other, not just alongside each other. This is where Xabi Alonso’s tactical nous and man-management skills come into play.
His biggest task this season is not simply to get results, but to build a team where Madrid’s marquee duo operate in sync, amplifying each other’s strengths instead of operating in silos.
There is no denying the individual brilliance of either Vinicius or Mbappe. But Real Madrid does not want two separate stars. They want a lethal combination.
For now, that formula is still missing, and Alonso will know that forging that chemistry could be the difference between a good season and a great one.
In just his few short months in charge so far, Xabi Alonso has already made several important changes from the outgoing Carlo Ancelotti regime that will have a major impact on the team this season.
He has let veteran players go and even told some of the younger players that they aren’t part of his plan and should look for playing time elsewhere. However, one decision he has to make is regarding the penalty spot.
Los Blancos have four or five players, all of whom are capable of being the primary penalty taker. Under Carlo Ancelotti last season, the team rotated between four takers, and that strategy did not prove to bring much success.
If Real Madrid hope to bounce back from last season’s disappointments, they must establish an undisputed primary penalty taker, and it seems Xabi Alonso has done just that; the decision may upset one particular player.
As reported by Marca, Xabi Alonso trusts Kylian Mbappe to be Real Madrid’s number one penalty taker over Vinicius Jr for the upcoming season.
As mentioned earlier, Real Madrid’s record from the penalty spot wasn’t great last season. Of the 19 penalties awarded, Los Blancos missed seven, which was the most of any big club in Europe. The players taking the penalties were Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr, Jude Bellingham, and Fede Valverde, with Mbappe leading the way with three misses.
However, despite missing the most, Xabi Alonso trusts the Frenchman to be his priority taker ahead of Vinicius Jr, which could rub the Brazilian the wrong way.
After the departure of Karim Benzema, Vinicius has been the main penalty taker and the main man in the attack, but the club now views Mbappe as the leader of the attack, surpassing the Brazilian.
