Mbappé’s penalty miss adds to Real Madrid’s troubles in defeat to Athletic

Real Madrid’s head coach, Carlo Ancelotti, has confirmed that Kylian Mbappé is deeply disappointed after missing a crucial penalty during the team’s 2-1 loss to Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday. The French star’s missed opportunity compounded a frustrating evening for Los Blancos, who have struggled to find consistent form.

Mbappé’s penalty attempt in the 68th minute was stopped by Athletic goalkeeper Julen Agirrezabala, a decisive moment in the match. Later, a costly defensive error by Federico Valverde gifted Athletic the winning goal in the 80th minute, with Gorka Guruzeta capitalizing on the mistake to secure the victory.

Reflecting on the miss, Mbappé took to Instagram, writing: “A big mistake in a match where every detail counts. I take full responsibility for it. A difficult moment, but it’s the best time to change this situation and show who I am.”

The French striker had another setback earlier in the game when a goal he scored in the 13th minute was ruled offside. This marked the second missed penalty for Mbappé in as many weeks, following a similar failure in Real Madrid’s 2-0 Champions League loss to Liverpool.

Though Mbappé briefly eased pressure on himself by scoring in Madrid’s 2-0 league win against Getafe on Sunday, his struggles have reignited scrutiny in what has been a challenging first season with the Spanish giants.

Ancelotti acknowledged the team’s disappointment but stressed the need to rally and improve. With Real Madrid’s season hitting rough patches, the focus now shifts to addressing errors and rebuilding momentum.