Kylian Mbappe shares what he admires most about Vinicius Jr; Real Madrid attacker responds and makes prediction about Frenchman

Real Madrid striker Kylian Mbappe has opened up on his admiration for his attacking teammate Vinicius Junior. Mbappe arrived at the Santiago Bernabeu last summer on a free transfer after a prolific seven-season stint at PSG.

The 2018 FIFA World Cup winner has had a relatively quiet start in the Spanish capital, registering 13 goals and three assists in 25 games across competitions. Most of those goal contributions - 10 goals and two assists in 16 games - have come in 16 games, where the holders are second, a point behind Atletico Madrid.

Kylian Mbappe has struck up a good rapport with Vinicius up front and has had good words to say about his Brazilian teammate (as per Managing Madrid):

“What I admire most about Vini? His humility, without a doubt. Everyone knows the player and sees the quality he has every three days. This year, he has won many collective titles and individual awards, but I highlight his humility. He is always on good terms with people in the dressing room, and I like that a lot.”

Vinicius was quick to return the compliment:

“Kylian is a great player and a great person. It’s very easy to play with him. He’s going to score a lot of goals for all the Madridistas. This is just the beginning. We can score many more, and we are going to do so. I had to adapt to a new team and the dressing room has helped me a lot. I thank them all.”

Vinicius has had a solid season, contributing 13 goals and nine assists in 20 outings across competitions. That includes eight goals and seven assists in 14 games in La Liga.

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What's next for Kylian Mbappe's Real Madrid?

Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti

Real Madrid are in the midst of a solid season after a mid-season stutter. Following a slow start, they have overtaken early leaders Barcelona in La Liga, where they trail the summit by a point approaching the midway point of the season.

They next take on Valencia in the league on Friday (January 3), coming off a 4-2 home win over Sevilla in their previous outing in the competition. Carlo Ancelotti's side next take on Deportivo Mineiro in their Copa del Rey opener three days later.

Kylian Mbappe and Co., though, are struggling in the UEFA Champions League. The holders have won only thrice in their opening six games, losing three, trailing leaders Liverpool (18) by nine points.