Real Madrid are facing a disastrous season, and Madridistas see stars Vinicius and Mbappe as the main reasons.
Madridistas against Vinicius and Mbappe
When Thiago Pitarch lost the ball in the penalty area, almost leading to a goal by Gnabry – who shot straight at goalkeeper Lunin – just two minutes later he was running like crazy chasing after Harry Kane, receiving applause from the crowd.
Despite not having his best game, the young Real Madrid academy player was still recognized for his effort.
Not far away, Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe played their own way, waiting for opportunities to counter-attack, while the stands – which demanded fighting spirit from everyone – began to show impatience.
Mbappe finally scored, keeping Real Madrid's hopes alive ahead of their trip to Munich next week, but fans were disappointed by the missed opportunities, inadvertently making Manuel Neuer the man of the match.
With Vinicius, the reaction was even more intense, with boos erupting after his mistake in the build-up play that led to the second goal.
Two mistakes by the Brazilian player – losing possession before the first goal and a perfectly placed shot that went high over the bar after Upamecano's misplaced back pass – made him the target of criticism.
Previously, Vinicius had scored two consecutive braces against Man City and Atletico Madrid in mid-March, seemingly returning to his peak form, but he was lackluster against Bayern Munich.
Vinicius unleashed seven shots and completed five dribbles, but he wasn't the same player who tormented the Germans in 2024. That consistency was still absent.
As for Mbappe, he has increasingly been placed at the center of criticism surrounding Real Madrid's disappointing season over the past year and a half.
Real Madrid are facing the risk of ending the season without a trophy for the first time since 2021, and many see his signing as the main reason. That's a simplistic view, combining Toni Kroos' departure and Mbappe's arrival as an inseparable package.
Internally, the club tried to separate the two issues, believing that adding a central midfielder would help the team function better and improve the effectiveness of the attack with Vinicius and Mbappe, but the reality of the past few months has made Bernabeu impatient.
Demand more from Mbappe
Against Bayern, Mbappe – who, in Arbeloa's words, "was brought in for moments like this" – had three one-on-one opportunities with Neuer but failed to beat him, and had two more shots go wide of the target.
"Neuer is the best," the Real Madrid dressing room asserted, but the reality is that if Mbappe had capitalized on one of those opportunities, the situation before the trip to Munich would have been very different.
The French striker has scored 14 goals in the Champions League this season, but did not score against Man City, Benfica, Liverpool or Juventus. His goals came from matches against Kairat (3), Olympiakos (4), Benfica in the group stage (2), Monaco (2) and Marseille (2).
Those numbers, along with other factors, make Arbeloa's statement noteworthy: "I've seen a committed Mbappe, capable of making a difference. He's the best player in the world . That's the Mbappe we want, a Mbappe who is himself every day."
Arbeloa also spoke with Vinicius and Mbappe several times during the match against Bayern, urging them to participate more actively in pressing and move more flexibly when the team regains possession.
“We said at halftime that when you win the ball back after a minute or two of continuous defending, you have to create an option for the player in possession, otherwise you'll fall into a defensive loop. We need to know how to rest with the ball, and we did better in the second half,” Arbeloa analyzed.
Mbappe's goal kept Real Madrid's hopes alive, but they had to win in Munich – a place where they needed the best versions of Vinicius and Mbappe.
"We can inflict serious damage on Bayern. If there's any team that can win in Munich, it's Real Madrid," Arbeloa asserted, emphasizing the technical aspect.
“Mentally, I knew they had character, because the first thing they said was 'we’re going to win there.' There was no fear.”