But this is too superficial if we want to discuss Mbappe's performance in the last few months. He has scored some penalties included in those 8 goals, which is fine, but Real Madrid needs him to score goals apart from penalties. That is what he is known for. He scores when the opponents expect it the least. The numbers aren't bad, but this is like looking at the numbers when a striker scored 5 goals in 1 game and then doesn't score the next 4 games. He then averages 1 goal per game, but is it good for the team? I doubt it. He doesn't show up enough in the important games and now that you mention these numbers, where does Real Madrid need him to score the most? In the Champions League, but in that competition he rarely scores. I think 1 goal so far and this is the reason why they are where they are in the table.
Mbappe still needs time to become the player expected and I see a lack of teamwork which makes him a little bit difficult to score and even though in some previous games he missed too many chances to score.
Real Madrid is experiencing a player crisis due to injuries so it does affect the entire team but slowly they are starting to recover and now only one point is left from Barcelona because Real Madrid still has one game left that they have not played. Blaming Mbappe for not being able to score goals is also not right, because there are times when players will go through difficult times, plus the team is in an unstable condition and we hope they can continue to improve for the next match.
Is it a lack of team work or a lack of ability to work as a team? Those are two different pairs of shoes. This is not Real Madrid from 5-7 years ago when Real Madrid was packed with world class midfielders and players like Kroos who had tremendous precision in their passing and cold play the decisive one into the right place so the striker could use full speed and be in the perfect position to finish the attack.
I think Real Madrid wants to play like a real team, but they haven't yet found out how they complement each other and in my opinion they are short of world class midfielders. Modric is too old although he can still play a great game, that's not the point. But compare this to the times when they had Modric and Kroos, that was insane.
Those duo in the midfield were one of the best things that could have happened to Real Madrid as a team then, their midfield were so great and you won’t find them lacking in the midfield in any match when both of them are fielded to play. The champions league is a very important game for them, so they even play better in the competition than they did when playing in the La Liga which their performance there was also top notch.
Kross was an important player in the midfield and since he left, their midfield hasn’t been coordinated even when they still have Modric in the game. For them to be back to form again, they need to have some kind of chemistry in the midfield and Jude Bellingham happens to be who I see as the right person to make that happen. Until then, we may not see any significant improvement in their game like we’ve always know them for.