Kylian Mbappe has opened up on the ‘mentality problem’ which has seen him make a slow start to life at Real Madrid.
Big things were expected of Mbappé when he joined the Bernabeu from Paris Saint-Germain last summer.
But the French captain was not at his best early on in the Spanish capital, at one point scoring just three times during an 11-game stretch, a run that included three missed penalties.
More recently though, the 26-year-old has found form, scoring four times in his last three games for Real.
“I think it was a mentality problem and that’s when I realized I had to work harder,” Mbappé said ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League match against Red Bull Salzburg .
“I was thinking too much about how to do things. Whether to go to space, or to go to Vini [Vinicius Jr’s] area of the field, towards Rodrygo’s area. When you think too much, you don’t focus on your game.
“I was doing well physically and with the group but I knew I had to do more, it was the time to change things.
“I am a player who always wants to do more. And when you see that you don’t do it, it affects you.
“I couldn’t do any worse, so when you hit rock bottom [after miss vs Liverpool] you can only go up.
Speaking about the added pressure on his shoulders since joining Los Blancos, Mbappe added: “It’s normal. People expected a lot from me.
“I don’t take it personally, it’s football. You have to stay calm and focused. I knew the situation could change.
Mbappe scored a superb opener against Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup earlier this month before losing 5-2 to their fierce rivals. The French striker has since scored against Celta Vigo before adding two against La Palmas this weekend.
“I have been in good shape for a month or a month and a half,” Mbappé said. “I have total confidence for Wednesday [against Salzburg] in my game and in the team.
