Report: Mbappé and Vinícius.. Real Madrid duo struggling to find harmony

Real Madrid are still struggling with the lack of harmony between their attacking stars Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior, a crisis that has persisted since the French forward joined the team in 2024, despite the succession of four coaches at the helm of the club. This was clearly evident during the Madrid derby against Atlético, as the two players moved into the same spaces on the left side, which affected the team's attacking shape.

A report from "AS" revealed that only 6% of Real Madrid's goals since the meeting of Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius have come from direct collaboration between them. Additionally, "L'Équipe" highlighted the issue through a map of average positions in the derby, which showed the players almost occupying the same space.

At the start of Mbappé's time with Real Madrid, questions arose about the position of each player within the team, especially since the Frenchman joined a squad where Vinícius was the standout star after winning the UEFA Champions League for the fifteenth time. Carlo Ancelotti tried to achieve balance by relying on Mbappé as a central striker, but the Frenchman did not perform like the reference striker that Joselu occupied, nor did he take on the playmaking role that Karim Benzema provided.

One issue with the duo is their similarities, as both rely on their right foot and prefer to start from the left. They ask for the ball at their feet and need space to cut inside. With Mbappé not playing as a traditional striker to consistently pin down centre-backs, his movements overlap with those of Vinícius on the same side, while the benefit from the right side diminishes.

In their first 8 official matches this season, Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius have directly contributed to only one goal together, when Vinícius assisted Mbappé to score against Real Sociedad. Additionally, their average passes to each other have increased from 5.6 times per match in the first season to 6.9 times in the second season.

This overlap is more evident in big matches, as both players tend to wait for the same pass or attack the same space instead of making complementary movements. In the Madrid derby, Vinícius was substituted in the 54th minute for Ivorian player Yan Diomande, who provided the team with more attacking energy despite playing with ten men after Hausen's red card.

It is not just about the way players move; the numbers also indicate a decline in Mbappé's effectiveness in front of goal compared to the number of chances he receives. The French forward tops the list of players who have wasted the most big chances in LaLiga this season, having squandered 9 opportunities so far.

After more than two seasons and four coaches, and thousands of minutes played together, Real Madrid have yet to find a way to benefit from Mbappé and Vinícius together without one impacting the other. The problem becomes more apparent in strong matches, while data indicates that Real Madrid scored more, conceded fewer goals, and achieved a higher win percentage when the two players are not on the pitch together.