Mansion Sports – Kylian Mbappe delivered strong criticism toward his teammates at Real Madrid, accusing the squad of lacking “desire” in their performance.

He believes that Los Blancos did not reflect a “championship team” at all after suffering a costly defeat in European competition against Benfica.

In that match, Real Madrid conceded goals that were described as “embarrassing,” including one scored by the home side’s goalkeeper, and the La Liga giants must now proceed through the Champions League knockout play-off route.

The defeat prevented Real Madrid from securing a top-eight finish and forced them to continue their campaign through the play-off round in order to keep their hopes of European glory alive.

Real Madrid Finish Ninth and Must Go Through the Play-offs

In principle, finishing inside the top eight of the league phase would have been sufficient to secure automatic qualification for the round of 16.

However, that opportunity was squandered in a highly disappointing manner in Lisbon. Real Madrid, now led by interim head coach Alvaro Arbeloa following the dismissal of Xabi Alonso, rarely appeared capable of controlling the match at the Estadio da Luz.

Real Madrid initially took the lead through Mbappe, which marked the first of the two goals he scored in the match.

However, they found themselves trailing by half-time and remained in a position of chasing the game thereafter.

Benfica, now managed by former Real Madrid head coach Jose Mourinho, eventually emerged victorious with a 4-2 scoreline.

A headed goal in the 98th minute from goalkeeper Anatoliy Turbin ensured Benfica’s progression to the play-off round, while Real Madrid were forced to settle for a ninth-place finish and could potentially face Benfica again in their pursuit of continental silverware.

Mbappe Speaks Frankly in Harsh Assessment of Real Madrid

Mbappe admitted that he was far from impressed with his team’s performance in Portugal. The World Cup-winning French forward told reporters that the main issue was not quality or tactics, but rather desire.

He stressed that Benfica demonstrated how important the match was to them, while Real Madrid failed to show the same level of commitment.

According to Mbappe, before the match both teams had clear objectives, with Real Madrid aiming to finish in the top eight and Benfica seeking a place in the top 24. However, only Benfica truly displayed that determination on the pitch.

Mbappe also highlighted the inconsistency in his team’s performances. He compared the display against Benfica with the previous match against Villarreal and described the contrast as a serious problem.

In his view, a championship team cannot perform well in one match and then collapse in the next.

He expressed his frustration that Real Madrid must now play two additional matches in the play-offs, when they had hoped to use February to improve their overall performance.

Embarrassing Goal Conceded from the Benfica Goalkeeper

Mbappe continued his criticism by describing Real Madrid’s performance in the match as abnormal.

He emphasized that the team’s primary objective was to finish in the top eight in order to reduce the number of matches and ease the physical burden, yet Real Madrid started the match in a very poor manner.

He acknowledged that Benfica deserved to score first. Although Real Madrid managed to score from one of their chances, that goal did not improve their overall performance.

Mbappe even stated that he would not have been surprised if Benfica had been leading 5-1 at half-time, given the dominance shown by the home side.

In the second half, Real Madrid attempted to change the situation, but they conceded again from a direct and deeply painful scenario.

After falling behind, Real Madrid tried to apply pressure, but Benfica controlled the tempo and wasted time, which is part of the game.

Mbappe assessed that his team failed to manage the rhythm of the match and lacked creativity in producing clear chances.

Regarding the fourth goal scored by the Benfica goalkeeper, Mbappe stated that while it did not change the final outcome, it was still deeply embarrassing.

Mbappe Disturbed by the Attitude of Several Teammates

Reports from Spain, via ABC Sports, indicate that Mbappe has become increasingly disturbed by what he perceives as a lack of responsibility from several of his teammates, particularly during a season that has begun to deviate from expectations at crucial moments.

Mbappe is known for demanding the highest standards from himself, having scored 36 goals in 29 appearances this season, and he expects his teammates to demonstrate the same level of commitment.

However, that has not always been evident throughout the campaign, which has been marked by various off-field changes and several major questions surrounding the team’s performances.

Real Madrid will discover their play-off opponent, either Benfica or Bodo/Glimt, when the draw is conducted on Friday.

After that, they will return to domestic competition on Sunday with a home match against Rayo Vallecano.