Real Madrid attacker Kylian Mbappe has responded to the claim that Barcelona forwards Lamine Yamal and Raphinha defend better than he does.
The Frenchman maintained that he is a better player, especially in terms of scoring goals. Mbappe said he has a higher goal tally than the duo.
Since his arrival at the Santiago Bernabeu on a free transfer in the summer of 2024, Mbappe has netted 92 goals in all competitions for Los Blancos, including four goals in as many matches this season.
During the same timeframe, Yamal and Raphinha have scored 46 and 61 goals for Barcelona, with four and six goals, respectively, in their four La Liga appearances this season.
When questioned about Yamal and Raphinha’s superior defensive contributions compared to him and Vinicius, Mbappe said, as quoted by Fabrizio Romano, “Only me and Vini? I could play dumb and tell you that I score more than the two you mentioned. … Everyone is different, but obviously, I still have to improve.”
Mbappe and his teammates recently suffered a 1-0 defeat in La Liga against Real Betis, where the Frenchman missed a crucial late penalty.
In contrast, Yamal scored twice and Raphinha also found the net in Barcelona’s impressive 5-0 win over Valencia, which placed them three points ahead of their rivals at the top of the league after four matches.