Real Madrid have named Kylian Mbappe Player of the Month for August, and the Frenchman marked the occasion by setting the bar for the rest of the campaign. Four goals in three games earned him the club’s Jugador Cinco Estrellas Mahou award, collected at the training ground on Thursday, and the France captain left no doubt about what he expects from the months ahead.
Four goals in three games: Mbappe Player of the Month on merit
The numbers made it a straightforward vote. Mbappe featured in all three of Real Madrid’s matches during the month and scored four times, opening his account for the season with a hat-trick in the 4-1 win over Real Sociedad before adding another in a 4-0 victory against newly promoted Malaga, as reported by Madrid Universal.
He then carried that form into Europe, opening the scoring in Tuesday’s 2-1 Champions League win over Inter Milan on a night when very little else about the performance satisfied the Santiago Bernabeu. For a forward who reached his century of Real Madrid goals faster than anyone in the club’s history, it is close to business as usual — but it is worth pausing on how much of the early scoring burden he is carrying.
“There can be a lot of success this season”
Speaking to the club’s own media after receiving the award, Mbappe was pointedly upbeat, per Mundo Deportivo.
“We’ve started the season positively. I hope we can continue like this on Saturday. I think there can be a lot of success this season,” he said.
On his own role, the forward struck the same note he has held since the day he arrived. “I’m really looking forward to helping the team and showing that we can do great things this year. I’m always happy to play here. I know it’s a privilege.”
That is not the language of a man rattled by a fortnight of criticism, and it matters. Jose Mourinho’s side have won every game they have played and are still being told, loudly, that they are not convincing. Having the dressing room’s biggest name talk about trophies rather than teething problems is no small thing in September.
A word for the new arrivals
Mbappe also used the platform to welcome a heavily reshaped squad. Real Madrid added Ibrahima Konate, Marc Cucurella, Bernardo Silva, Denzel Dumfries and Yan Diomande over the summer, with Madrid Universal counting six new faces in all, and the forward framed integration as a collective job.
“It’s always good to see new faces. They come wanting to help the badge and Real Madrid,” he said. “We’ve tried to make sure everyone adapts in the best possible way so that we can all move in the same direction.”
Rayo next, and a crowd to win back
The Saturday Mbappe referred to brings Rayo Vallecano to the Bernabeu in LaLiga’s fifth round, and Los Blancos could hardly ask for a kinder fixture on paper. Rayo coach Benat San Jose admitted his side will travel across the city “en cuadro” — barely able to field a team — with winger Isi Palazon and goalkeeper Augusto Batalla injured, Fran Perez and Jorge de Frutos suspended, and Randy Nteka picking up a muscle problem in training this week.
Madrid’s own week has been quieter, if unusual: with the Formula 1 Grand Prix taking place beside Valdebebas, Thursday’s session was closed to the media and Mourinho’s pre-match press conference has been moved to the Bernabeu. The one piece of good news on the pitch was Raul Asencio’s return to full training after the thigh problem that had kept him out since late July, while Aurelien Tchouameni, Endrick and Thiago Pitarch continue to build up.
The wider job is less about opponents than atmosphere. The Bernabeu whistled Vinicius Junior inside a quarter of an hour on Tuesday and emptied in a distinctly grumpy mood despite three points. A convincing win, with the man just voted Player of the Month leading the line, would go a long way towards changing the subject.
