Kylian Mbappé defends his teammates in front of the press: 'I'm the one who's ultimately responsible'

Kylian Mbappé delivered his best performance yet since wearing Real Madrid's jersey yesterday. The Frenchman shot at goal six times and four of those attempts ended up as goals, confirming that he's the most decisive number 9 on the planet. Every time Mbappé touched the ball, Olympiacos was forced to retreat, unable to stop a display that allowed Real Madrid to secure a crucial victory to calm the mood.

However, beyond his individual performance, the match left worrying collective takeaways for Xabi Alonso. Real Madrid gave away too many defensive opportunities, especially in direct duels and crosses from the flanks, which allowed the Greek team to score three goals without creating major plays. That fragility once again showed that the white locker room isn't going through its best physical or mental moment.

Does Real Madrid depend on Kylian Mbappé?

In the attacking phase, the outlook wasn't much more encouraging. Apart from Vinícius's flashes and Kylian Mbappé's decisiveness, the rest of the team offered very little real threat. The midfield struggled to connect passes in dangerous areas and the fullbacks barely created overloads, leaving the Frenchman far too alone in the task of deciding the match.

In fact, the importance of the French star has become tremendously evident over the past few weeks.  In the three matches in which Kylian Mbappé hasn't scored—against Rayo, Elche, and Liverpool—Real Madrid hasn't managed to win. The statistic is indisputable and shows that, today, a good part of the team's success depends on the finishing of the number 10.

Kylian Mbappé answers the million-dollar question

After the victory against Olympiacos, Kylian Mbappé was asked directly about this issue. The question pointed, although not openly stated, to a lack of attacking weight from the rest of his teammates. The striker's response, however, was surprising for its maturity, its sense of leadership, and the ability to take responsibility without excuses.

"That's a bad question. My job is to score goals, but without the other players we don't win the match", Kylian Mbappé replied, highlighting the importance of his teammates and shutting down any attempt to divide the locker room. His words were immediately celebrated by Madridist fans, who had been sensing some internal tension after recent results.

But the Frenchman didn't stop there; he went further and settled the debate by taking all the criticism upon himself: "You don't have to say there's dependence. You have to say that I'm responsible for what happened against Elche, Rayo, and Liverpool, my job is to score goals and I didn't do it those days". A clear, direct, and forceful message.

These statements not only protect the locker room, but also show the enormous ambition of a footballer who wants to make a difference in every match. Kylian Mbappé knows that his role at Real Madrid goes beyond goals: he's a reference, he's a leader, and now he also raises his voice when needed. Perhaps that was his greatest victory last night in Greece.