French journalist Daniel Riolo has explained the reason behind Kylian Mbappe's struggles at Real Madrid this season. The reporter called out Los Blancos boss Carlo Ancelotti on how he was utilizing the former Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) winger.
Kylian Mbappe finally got his dream move to Real Madrid this summer, joining the Spanish giants on a free transfer in July. However, he has failed to hit the ground running.
Despite managing to bag eight goals and two assists in 15 games so far, the Frenchman seems like a misfit and his reported failure to gel in has become a topic of debate.
RMC journalist Daniel Riolo weighed in on the subject recently. The Frenchman explained that his compatriot was struggling at the Santiago Bernabeu because he was playing out of his natural position. He told After Foot (via GOAL):
"You play without a centre-forward because - it was the case last year, it is the case in the French team and it will be the case at Real, I have been killing myself saying it for months - Mbappe is not and will never be a number 9. Just like everyone else is a prisoner of this thing, Ancelotti is in the same prison.
"I'm going to repeat a sentence that I've repeated 150 times: Mbappe, either it's on the left, or it's on the bench. And on the left, there's better than him at the moment since Vinicius has the privilege of seniority and performances, so it's going to go to the bench because it can't be otherwise."
Riolo also called on Carlo Ancelotti to summon the courage to bench Kylian Mbappe and play Rodrygo Goes as centre-forward to solve Real Madrid's recent crisis.
"He's not a 9, there's one on the bench (Rodrygo) and he's going to have to be played. Can Ancelotti take responsibility for such a decision? Real are a big club and capable of taking responsibility for such a decision but they can't continue like this, it's obvious," added the Frenchman.
Kylian Mbappe fired blanks once again as Real Madrid fell to a 3-1 loss to AC Milan in the Champions League on Tuesday (November 5). That makes it back-to-back defeats for Los Blancos following their 4-0 humiliation in the Clasico against Barcelona.
What next for Kylian Mbappe and Real Madrid?
Following Tuesday's embarrassing defeat, Real Madrid will want to bounce back to winning ways when they return to LaLiga action this weekend. The Spanish giants are scheduled to take on Osasuna at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday, November 9.
Following that, Carlo Ancelotti's men will go head-to-head with Leganes away from home in another LaLiga fixture on November 24. They will then face Premier League giants Liverpool in Champions League action at Anfield on November 27.
Meanwhile, Kylian Mbappe will be eager to get his name back on the scoresheet. The forward has fired blanks in his last two outings and needs to find his scoring boots again amid growing pressure.