Carlo Ancelotti insisted Kylian Mbappe “can do better” after missing his second penalty in a week in Real Madrid’s 2-1 La Liga loss to Athletic Club on Wednesday.
Against San Mamés, Álex Berenguer put Athletic ahead in the 53rd minute, and Mbappe had a chance to equalize 15 minutes later, but his spot-kick was saved by goalkeeper Julen Agirrezabala.
Jude Bellingham equalized with a rebound from Mbappé’s shot and Athletic’s Gorka Guruzeta later scored the winner following a mistake by Federico Valverde.
Mbappe’s failure to convert a penalty came a week after he blocked another attempt by Liverpool’s Caoimhin Kelleher in Madrid’s 2-0 defeat at Anfield in the Champions League.
Asked in his post-match press conference how his players were feeling, Ancelotti said: “I haven’t spoken to Mbappe.” “You shouldn’t judge a player’s performance by his penalties. Sometimes he scores and sometimes he doesn’t. Obviously he’s sad and disappointed, but we have to carry on.”
“Fede (Valverde) is sad and disappointed like Kylian, but Fede is a great player. In football, people make mistakes.”
Mbappe has scored 10 goals in 20 appearances for Madrid so far, but criticism of his performance has increased over the past month and he took full responsibility for the result on social media late on Wednesday.
“Bad result. A big mistake in a match where every detail matters,” Mbappé wrote. “The full responsibility lies with me. It is a difficult moment, but now is the best time to change the situation and show who I am.”
Ancelotti said Mbappé would continue to be Madrid’s penalty taker alongside Vinícius Júnior and Bellingham.
“He is not at his best level, but we have to give him time to adapt,” the Madrid coach said. “He scored 10 goals, he can do better and he is working to do better.”
Mbappe turned down the chance to kick another penalty against Getafe on Sunday and Bellingham stepped up in his place.
“He took charge today but it didn’t go well,” Ancelotti said. “But that can happen in football.”
Athletic goalkeeper Aguirrezabala said he anticipated how Mbappe would score the penalty kick.
“We study everything a lot these days,” he told DAZN. “We knew he was a good taker. He had just missed one and I thought he would go the same way. Luckily that’s what happened.”
With this loss, Madrid heads into the game four points behind La Liga leader Barcelona.
