Sports Desk:

Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe is struggling to score due to lack of confidence, feels coach Carlo Ancelotti. The coach made his comments after his team’s 0-2 loss vs Liverpool.

IN SHORT

• Kylian Mbappe struggled in Real Madrid’s 0-2 loss to Liverpool
• Mbappe has scored once in his last six games
• Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti showed support to the player

Kylian Mbappe endured another frustrating outing for Real Madrid on Wednesday night, as the French striker failed to make a significant impact in his team’s 2-0 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield in the Champions League. The 25-year-old missed a penalty and struggled to trouble Liverpool’s defense, adding to the growing concerns over his form since joining the Spanish giants from Paris Saint-Germain in June.

Mbappé, who has only scored once in his last six games across all competitions, has had a challenging start to life at Real Madrid, with just one goal in five Champions League appearances for the club. Despite these difficulties, manager Carlo Ancelotti remained supportive of his star forward, describing him as an “extraordinary” player who simply needs time and patience to regain his best form in Spain.

“It’s a difficult moment for him,” Ancelotti said after the match. “We’ve got to support him and give him our love. He’ll soon be fine.”

The Italian coach acknowledged that lack of confidence could be a factor in Mbappé’s struggles, noting that every player goes through periods when things aren’t clicking.

“It could be a lack of confidence maybe. Sometimes you have moments when things aren’t quite working out for you,” Ancelotti continued. “But you get through these moments. People miss penalties, it happens a lot. You can’t put too much grief on him for that.”

Ancelotti praised Mbappé for his work ethic, urging the forward to stay focused and continue battling through this difficult phase. “He works hard, he’s got to keep working hard and fighting. You get through these moments. Things just aren’t running for him at the moment. We’ve got to be patient. He’s an extraordinary player.”

While Ancelotti defended Mbappé, he was quick to admit that Liverpool deserved the win. “To be totally honest with you, it was a fair result,” he said. “They have a really good dynamic at the moment, they are switched on, they play with a high intensity.”

Despite their defeat, Ancelotti remained optimistic about Real Madrid’s chances of progressing to the knockout stage. “I think this game today wasn’t a decisive game,” he added. “We’ll be there, we’ll be competing in the knockout phase, like in previous years.”

Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham also echoed Ancelotti’s sentiment, acknowledging that Liverpool had outplayed them in every aspect. “They were more up for it than us, which is very disappointing,” Bellingham said. “It is a bad result against the best-performing team in Europe.”

Bellingham also offered words of encouragement for Mbappé, who has faced mounting pressure due to his high profile and expectations. “He is a wonderful player, but the pressure on him because of how good he is is huge,” said Bellingham. “The penalty is not why we lost the game. They performed better than us. I know that he will produce many more moments that will be huge for this club.”

With the pressure mounting on Mbappé to deliver, Ancelotti and Bellingham both stressed the importance of patience and belief in the player’s immense talent as Real Madrid prepares for the remainder of their Champions League campaign.