Kylian Mbappé took advantage of the two-week international break in Madrid. For the second consecutive time, he was left out of France's squad. His main objective was to regain his best form—something he has yet to achieve as a Real Madrid player—starting with improving his finishing, which he successfully demonstrated against Leganés, validating his coach's words. 

"Mbappé has improved his physical condition, and hopefully, he can showcase all his talent against Leganés, which is a lot. All great strikers go through a rough patch, but I see Mbappé motivated and happy, training and being with his teammates. This drought will end sooner or later, and I'm sure tomorrow it will come to an end. He has extraordinary quality, and sooner or later, he will show it," said Carlo Ancelotti during the pre-match press conference ahead of the visit to Butarque.

Said and done. After being caught offside again—eight times in the last Clásico against Barcelona in one of his worst performances—and seeing a goal disallowed in the 10th minute, Mbappé redeemed himself.

It had been 36 days without a goal, including the international break. During that time, he played four games, took 25 shots, 10 of which were on target, but failed to score.

16 Days and a Change in Ancelotti's Perspective

Doubts about Mbappé's early days as a Real Madrid player grew after defeats to Barcelona (0-4) and AC Milan (1-3). In both matches, he was expected to be the decisive player that Los Blancos had pursued over seven attempts to sign him. However, his performance was far from the level that once made him dominant in Europe. He was inconspicuous, ineffective, and wasteful in front of goal.

Despite scoring eight goals—three from penalties—in 18 matches before facing Leganés, expectations were much higher.

Analyzing his struggles sparked a debate about his position on the field. Since joining Real Madrid, Mbappé has played as a ‘9,’ far from the left flank that has always been his favorite and is currently occupied by Vinícius Junior.

Mbappé joined a Madrid side where ‘Vini’ is the leader, a figure who earned that status over the past seasons. So much so that he was the favorite to win a Ballon d’Or, which eventually went to Rodri. This placed the Frenchman in a secondary role.

The team’s play no longer revolved around him. It was a new squad with new dynamics. A potential solution was proposed: moving him back to the left wing and deploying Vinícius as a false ‘9,’ a role in which he excelled last season and at times this season, but always with Rodrygo on the pitch and never with Mbappé.

However, on November 8, Ancelotti firmly reiterated his stance. He made it clear that Vinícius remained the team’s leader.

"I haven’t wanted to change the position of the player who makes the difference (Vinícius). Mbappé has the characteristics to play as a forward. I don’t want to change that," the coach stated. 

The Change Came 16 Days Later

In Butarque, Mbappé started on the left wing, while Vinícius operated with greater freedom in the center. This liberated the Frenchman, who became more prominent.

The positional change did not seem to affect Vinícius, at least judging by his performance on the pitch. His contribution was evident, including an assist for Mbappé’s opening goal, setting him up one-on-one with the goalkeeper. It was the first time ‘Vini’ assisted Kylian this season.

The connection between Vinícius and Mbappé worked as they switched positions on the field, a strategy Ancelotti might replicate in an important match: the upcoming visit to Liverpool on Wednesday in the Champions League.