Kylian Mbappé has credited his recent resurgence at Real Madrid to learning from his penalty miss against Athletic Bilbao earlier this month, describing the moment as hitting “rock bottom.”
The French forward, who joined Real from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer, endured a challenging start at his new club, grappling with injury setbacks and adaptation issues. However, since missing his second penalty in a week during a 2-1 loss to Bilbao, Mbappé has scored four goals in all competitions, including a crucial opener in Real’s 4-2 La Liga victory over Sevilla on Sunday.
“I took a lot of positives from the Bilbao game. I hit rock bottom,” Mbappé told Real Madrid TV. “I missed a penalty and realised I have to give my all for this shirt and play with personality.”
Despite a slow start, Mbappé has tallied 10 goals in 16 league appearances, helping Real Madrid finish the calendar year just one point behind leaders Atlético Madrid.
“I can score a lot more—I know I have a lot more to give,” Mbappé said. “The last few games, I’ve played better. The settling-in period is over, and I feel very comfortable in the team now.”
Real Madrid will look to maintain their momentum when they face Valencia in La Liga on 3 January.
