Real Madrid Beat Espanyol, but Mbappé and Vinícius Jr Still Out of Sync
Despite Real Madrid's 2-1 win over Espanyol, questions about the lack of understanding between Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Jr have resurfaced, as the pair enter a third season together without any real on-field chemistry.
RCD Espanyol de Barcelona
Real Madrid CF- 90'Yellow card: P. Lozano (RCD Espanyol de Barcelona)
- 90'Yellow card: P. Milla (RCD Espanyol de Barcelona)
- 90'⚽ Goal for Real Madrid CF (C. Espi)
- 90'Final score: RCD Espanyol de Barcelona 1 - 2 Real Madrid CF
- 88'Substitution: ↑ Jofre / ↓ Exposito (RCD Espanyol de Barcelona)
- 84'Yellow card: Exposito (RCD Espanyol de Barcelona)
- 80'Substitution: ↑ C. Espi / ↓ J. Bellingham (Real Madrid CF)
- 80'Substitution: ↑ E. Camavinga / ↓ B. Silva (Real Madrid CF)
- 80'Substitution: ↑ T. Alexander-Arnold / ↓ D. Dumfries (Real Madrid CF)
- 75'Substitution: ↑ P. Milla / ↓ J. Hernandez (RCD Espanyol de Barcelona)
- 75'Substitution: ↑ P. Lozano / ↓ U. Gonzalez (RCD Espanyol de Barcelona)
- 66'Substitution: ↑ R. Bauza / ↓ A. Calatrava (RCD Espanyol de Barcelona)
- 66'Substitution: ↑ V. Drkusic / ↓ C. Riedel (RCD Espanyol de Barcelona)
- 64'Substitution: ↑ Y. Diomande / ↓ A. Guler (Real Madrid CF)
- 64'Substitution: ↑ M. Cucurella / ↓ A. Carreras (Real Madrid CF)
- 59'Yellow card: C. Riedel (RCD Espanyol de Barcelona)
- 45'Half-time
- 32'Yellow card: A. Calatrava (RCD Espanyol de Barcelona)
- 32'Yellow card: Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid CF)
- 30'⚽ Goal for RCD Espanyol de Barcelona (A. Calatrava)
- 9'⚽ Goal for Real Madrid CF (J. Bellingham)
- 0'Kick-off
Real Madrid beat Espanyol 2-1 in La Liga matchday 2, but the match reopened a recurring question: do Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Jr really click on the pitch?
Quiet ratings despite the win
Jude Bellingham had put Real Madrid ahead (9'), before Antonio Calatrava equalized for Espanyol (30'), with Carlos Espí eventually settling the match deep into stoppage time (90'). Despite the positive result, Marca gave Mbappé just a 5/10, while Vinícius Jr — booked in the 32nd minute — received only a 4/10, with AS describing the Brazilian forward as "desperate" in the second half, attempting individual plays without success.
Statistics confirming the lack of chemistry
The pair are entering their third season together without having built any real understanding: across more than 3,400 minutes played together this season, only 15% of Vinícius's passes were aimed at Mbappé, against 13% the other way. Real Madrid also average 2.83 goals per match when Vinícius plays alone up front, compared to just 1.89 when both players are on the pitch together.
Against that backdrop, journalist Antón Meana said on Cadena SER: "Vinícius and Mbappé don't get along, they don't understand each other, and the team plays worse with the Frenchman, who does nothing to adapt."
Club leadership pushes back
Club president Florentino Pérez firmly rejected the notion: "When I hear that Mbappé and Vinícius Jr aren't compatible? That's absurd. They are the two best players in the world." Head coach José Mourinho, meanwhile, faces the same challenge his predecessors did in getting his two attacking stars to click.
Key takeaways
- Real Madrid beat Espanyol 2-1, but Mbappé and Vinícius Jr's individual performances didn't convince.
- Statistics show limited connection between the two players, with the team's attacking output dropping when both are on the pitch.
- Florentino Pérez has publicly defended the duo, calling them the best players in the world.
