Kylian Mbappé, one of Real Madrid's marquee signings, is already facing criticism following a difficult start to his La Liga journey, with many raising concerns over his tactical awareness and impact in recent games. 

His performance in the latest El Clásico highlighted these issues, as he struggled to stay onside during Madrid's crushing 0-4 loss to Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabéu. Mbappé was flagged offside eight times in that match alone, a striking statistic given that Madrid committed twelve offsides in total—a high percentage directly attributable to the French star.

The offside problem has followed Mbappé beyond El Clásico. Since the start of the 24/25 La Liga season, he has been caught offside 17 times, leading not only in Spain but also across all five major European leagues in this category. 

This figure has raised eyebrows, especially considering it is the highest count by any Real Madrid player within the first ten league games of a season since Cristiano Ronaldo in the 2013/14 campaign, who tallied 22 offsides in the same period.

Real Madrid fans and analysts alike are now questioning whether Mbappé's positioning and timing need improvement to better align with the team’s structure. While his speed and instinct for goal are undeniable, his struggles to stay onside could affect Madrid’s offensive rhythm and continuity, particularly in high-stakes matches where Madrid's attack is tightly marked. 

The offside frequency may also suggest that defenders have quickly adapted to anticipating his runs, a situation that Mbappé will need to overcome with better timing and spatial awareness.

Despite his impressive talent and explosiveness on the field, this offside trend could limit his goal-scoring opportunities and disrupt Real Madrid's offensive dynamics. 

As the season progresses, Carlo Ancelotti and his coaching staff may need to work with Mbappé to refine his movement, improving his synchronization with Madrid’s midfielders and avoiding positions that make him an easy target for defenders’ offside traps. With key fixtures on the horizon, an improvement in this area could be crucial if Mbappé is to reach his potential as Madrid's main scoring threat.