Kylian Mbappé has scored seven goals in six matches to keep Real Madrid competitive during José Mourinho’s troubled start. Mbappé’s relentless individual form is offsetting defensive imbalance and selection friction following a trophy-less two-year stretch for the Spanish club.
Mourinho inherited a squad ill-suited to his defensive system when appointed manager last summer. Having previously managed Tottenham Hotspur, AS Roma, Fenerbahçe, and Benfica, the Portuguese coach arrived after Madrid completed two consecutive seasons without silverware. Former boss Xabi Alonso was sacked seven months into last season after struggling with dressing room egos, leading to Álvaro Arbeloa’s short tenure. Seeking defensive stability, Mourinho signed right-back Denzel Dumfries from Inter Milan to compete with Trent Alexander-Arnold. However, Dumfries has delivered erratic performances. In the Champions League opener against Inter, Dumfries struggled against his former club while Alexander-Arnold was deployed in central midfield. Mbappé and Federico Valverde ultimately saved the result.
Mourinho remains stubborn regarding his selection choices. But individual brilliance cannot hide structural flaw indefinitely.
The internal tension surfaced in a 1-0 La Liga defeat to Real Betis. Dumfries was replaced by Alexander-Arnold in the 64th minute, yet Mbappé was unable to bail out the team. In last weekend’s 4-1 victory over Rayo Vallecano, Dumfries played 90 minutes while Alexander-Arnold sat on the bench in a fixture built for his attacking vision. Mbappé scored a brace to reach seven goals and one assist in six appearances across all competitions. Alexander-Arnold has started just once in La Liga this season as Madrid balance squad metrics under LaLiga Limite Salarial rules. Should Mbappé’s scoring pace decline, Mourinho will face severe scrutiny over his selection hierarchy.
