Madrid’s Ancelotti says Mbappé ‘can do better’ after pen miss

Carlo Ancelotti insisted on it Kylian Mbappé “can do better” after missing his second penalty in a week in Real Madrid’s 2-1 LaLiga defeat at Athletic Club on Wednesday.

Alex Berenguer put Athletic ahead in the 53rd minute in San Mamés and Mbappé had the chance to equalize 15 minutes later but his spot-kick was saved by the goalkeeper Christmas Agirrezabala.

Jude Bellingham then equalized — with a rebound from an Mbappé shot — before Athletics Gorka Guruzeta scored a later winner, after an error from Federico Valverde.

Mbappé’s failure to convert the penalty came a week after he saw another effort saved by Liverpool’s Caoimhín Kelleher in Madrid’s 2-0 loss at Anfield in the Champions League.

“I haven’t spoken to (Mbappé),” Ancelotti said in his post-match press conference when asked how his players were doing. “I shouldn’t judge a player’s game based on a penalty. Sometimes you score them, sometimes you don’t. Obviously he’s upset and disappointed, but we have to carry on.”

“Fede (Valverde) is sad and disappointed like Kylian, but Fede is a great player. People make mistakes in football.”

Mbappé has scored 10 goals in 20 games for Madrid so far but has come under increasing criticism over his form in the last month.

“He is not at his best but we have to give him time to adapt,” Ancelotti said, confirming that Mbappé would remain a possible penalty taker for Madrid along with Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham. “He has scored 10 goals, he can do better and he is working to do better.”

Mbappé had turned down the chance to take another penalty against Getafe on Sunday, with Bellingham moving up instead.

“He took the responsibility to take it today and it didn’t go well,” Ancelotti said. “But in football it can happen.”

Athletic goalkeeper Agirrezabala said he had anticipated how Mbappé would take his penalty.

“Today we study everything a lot,” he told DAZN. “We knew he was a good receiver. He just missed one and I thought he was going to go off the same side. Fortunately, that’s what happened.”

The defeat leaves Madrid four points behind LaLiga leaders Barcelona, ​​with a game in hand.