“A great champion must rise from the ashes" - France legend backs Kylian Mbappe to regain lost form following poor start at Real Madrid

France legend Michel Platini has backed Real Madrid superstar Kylian Mbappe to come good after an underwhelming display in his side's 2-0 loss against Liverpool on November 27. The loss at Anfield marked Real Madrid's third loss in five games in this season's UEFA Champions League.

With Vinicius Jr. and Rodrygo injured, coach Ancelotti was forced to start Kylian Mbappe, Brahim Diaz, and Arda Guler in Real Madrid's frontline. Despite playing in his preferred left-wing position, the French superstar failed to deliver.

In 90 minutes, he managed just one shot on target and had a measly passing accuracy of 75% (18/24). The former PSG marksman also lost the ball 15 times. In the 61st minute, he missed a crucial penalty that could've gotten Real Madrid level with Liverpool at 1-1.

(The abovementioned statistics are taken from Sofascore on November 29, 2024. The site is privately owned and the stats may be subject to change.)

Despite his poor performance, French legend Michel Platini was optimistic about Kylian Mbappe's future. Speaking during an event in Nice (via SPORT), the three-time Ballon d'Or winner said:

“I see him looking a bit lost on the pitch. A great champion must rise from the ashes, systematically. This is what will make Kylian a great champion. It will only be a small bump, for French football and for him."

In 18 games this season, Kylian Mbappe has recorded just nine goals and two assists. In the UEFA Champions League, he has found the net just once in five games.

The Frenchman will need to rise to help his side avoid elimination in the Champions League group stages. At present, Real Madrid are languishing at 24th on the Champions League table, just one spot above the elimination zone.

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French pundit Frank Leboeuf finds Kylian Mbappe's lack of form for Real Madrid 'worrying'

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Football pundit and former French centre-back Frank Leboeuf slammed Kylian Mbappe after his dismal performance against Liverpool. According to the Frenchman, Mbappe's form has been poor for the last few months. Speaking about his performance on ESPN, he said:

"The focus on Mbappe and the fact he's been criticised because, yeah, he's not giving enough of what we expect from him, and that's what it is. And last season, the end of the season, was as boring as it is right now, we have to be fair, and it was playing for Paris Saint-Germain. We had some question marks as well."

He continued:

"Well, he had a bad European Championship because of a nose broken, but, yeah, for like, I would say six, seven months, we don't recognise Mbappé. When he was playing before, he was capable of creating the difference on his own."

Finally, he predicted that the Frenchman would not be able to make a comeback this season, adding:

"He's not able to do that right now, and that's really worrying me in a way that I don't see if he's going to be capable of getting it back, because the pressure is going to be very intense right now."

Kylian Mbappe has recorded a mere three goals and one assist in the last ten games for Real Madrid.