Real Madrid have a comfortable environment in the Spanish La Liga. After Benzema left, instead of signing a good striker, they made do with the good performances of other players. But I don't think they could have done that in the English Premier League. Also, we must not forget that Barcelona are in a weak period. So everything was a little bit easier for Real Madrid. Normally they could have finished last season with worse statistics. I think Mbappe likes to play on the wing more. Because playing as a wing forward creates more free space for the players. I hope Mbappe will be happy to play in the role of the team's striker. Because it will mean more responsibility for him.
The fact that Real didn’t sign the striker then was not a conscious move, but a forced decision because everyone was sure that Mbappe would move to Real even then and because of this Real gave up the fight for Haaland. But in the end Real ended up with neither. Without a striker, no team will be as effective as possible as the opposing midfield and defense will be able to rise very high and have an advantage in the center of the field. Simply having Mbappe at the forefront of attack will help Real's midfield and they will be even more effective.
Let's put Mbappe aside first and see that Madrid struggled for a season without Benzema but was able to perform extraordinary in La Liga and UCL. So basically this is not a coercion, Madrid was deliberately made to keep fighting without dependence on strikers, Ancelotti managed to implement this system for a full season. Regardless of Barcelona's condition, the fact is that the quality of Madrid's players cannot be underestimated. We are talking about evidence, not just wishful thinking, Real Madrid has proven that they can do it without a striker like Benzema. Against Man City, Bayern Munich and Dortmund in the final. What makes most people not accept Real Madrid success is because the club they support is in decline, venting their frustration here and there as if the conditions they are experiencing are unfair even though it is the fault of the club itself.