The painful elimination from the Champions League at the hands of Arsenal put Carlo Ancelotti in the spotlight, and in the days that followed, there was much speculation about his future on the Real Madrid bench. Some reports even claimed he could be sacked if Real Madrid failed to beat Athletic Club. However, when the fans returned to the Santiago Bernabéu, many began to turn their attention to Kylian Mbappé.

The Santiago Bernabéu criticized Mbappé

While still working on his recovery to be available for the Copa del Rey final against Barcelona this coming weekend, Kylian Mbappé was in one of the boxes at the Santiago Bernabéu with his mother, as he wasn’t going to be able to play against Athletic Club after being sent off against Alavés. Still, even though he wasn’t on the pitch, Real Madrid fans didn’t hesitate to make him share the blame.

Before the match reached the 18th minute, the cameras focused on his box, and as he watched the action on the field, Real Madrid fans began to whistle when his face appeared on the big screens at the Santiago Bernabéu. Mbappé, however, remained composed, and just like his mother, kept his eyes fixed on the field without blinking.

Does Real Madrid perform better without Mbappé?

Mbappé’s situation throughout the season at Real Madrid has been quite complicated. With 33 goals to his name, he’s just five away from surpassing Iván Zamorano as the top-scoring debutant in the club’s history. However, his arrival at Real Madrid, combined with the retirement of Toni Kroos, has caused noticeable imbalance in the team’s structure.

Yesterday, with Mbappé in the stands, Ancelotti decided to bring back the 4-4-2 formation that has brought him so much success in recent seasons. And although it took a last-minute goal from Fede Valverde, Real Madrid managed to secure a win that keeps them alive in the LaLiga title race. A win that shows that, without Kylian Mbappé, Real Madrid remains unbeaten this season. “The 4-4-2 is my favorite system,” said Ancelotti after the match. So, we’ll see if he sticks with it when Kylian Mbappé returns.