Athletic Club Atletico Madrid

COLUMN: Kylian Mbappe’s first goal at the Santiago Bernabeu and the quintessential ingredients to success

There were two major headlines from the weekend of La Liga football, and as Kylian Mbappe wheeled away, running free and easy now, inside the Santiago Bernabeu reigned a strange certainty of witnessing a moment that would gain weight as the years pass. His first goal in a Real Madrid shirt in Spanish football, his first goals at home, his three-game ‘drought’ will be washed away by the tides of time, and the future promises to colour what that moment makes us feel.

What you won’t see much of in Mbappe’s first goal is Brahim Diaz. The various highlights packages begin with the Moroccan international almost at a standstill on the right side of the box, Real Betis left-back Romain Perraud sized up. Brahim gives it simple to his left, where Rodrygo Goes drifts inside towards the pack of defenders, before giving the ball to Fede Valverde. The Uruguayan smuggles Mbappe in through the back door, and there he appeared, his name in lights.

Prior to that very simple pass though, Brahim had sprinted 20 yards to collect a wayward cross destined for a Betis throw, and kept the ball alive. Nine minutes later, Mbappe would fold his arms defiantly in front of the now doting Bernabeu again, after his penalty put the game out of sight. A contentious penalty awarded to Vinicius Junior, and the focus was firmly on the Brazilian’s gesture to hand Mbappe the ball, ceding duties this time round.

It was a peace offering without a conflict, but as the pair of superstars give their clunky understanding some WD40, it was a gift that helps to set the mood music for their new dynamic. Vinicius’ run was good, but again, what was lost was Brahim. Bursting away from three Betis defenders, Brahim flew across the green, before effortlessly slipping the ball into Vinicius’ path, and himself disappearing into the background of the shot.

Twice more he would delight the crowd, emerging through two challenges before being halted, and sequencing two Diego Maradona turns to get out of a bind in his own half, then earning a foul. Determined, direct, unselfish, Brahim was the catalyst behind Los Blancos’ victory, and his uncomplicated approach made life much more simple for Carlo Ancelotti, who would have been squirming six points behind Barcelona without a win.

Level on points with Los Blancos are crosstown rivals Atletico Madrid. They capitalised on an error in stoppage time, Angel Correa latching onto an Alexander Sorloth ball, rounding Julen Agirrezabala and slotting the ball into an empty net. A wet San Mames conquered without really doing enough to win the game, Correa made his 425th appearance in the 88th minute, and in just four minutes, came up with the winner. It was poise in front of goal that saw him breeze around Agirrezabala, but hustle that had him pressing the initial pass to Inigo Lekue, and then bursting into space for Sorloth to find him.

Outside of the season they signed Joao Felix, Atletico have smashed their transfer spend, with Sorloth one of four major signings alongside Robin Le Normand, Conor Gallagher and Julian Alvarez. Correa arrived four years before Felix, and for a twelfth of the price, and it is hard not to compare their approaches and correlate with their careers in Spain. Real Madrid signed arguably the best on the planet for free, but like Alvarez and despite his brace, Mbappe still looks like a guest in someone else’s home.

Stars have their own gravitational pull. The better, or perhaps the higher profile a player is, the more a team must cater for their abilities, and often the less their game adapts to those around them. When you have Mbappe, one of the most talented in the game, and Alvarez, a World Cup-winner selected by Lionel Messi himself to be the recipient of his passes, this of course makes sense. With the top talents, they must be maximised.

However that should not be an obstacle to understanding the importance of Correas and Brahims, players who run with their hair on fire and play with a knife between their teeth. Talents capable of deciding games, with a selfless streak that does not match. Real Madrid’s success over the last few seasons has balanced on the contributions from Lucas Vazquez, Nacho Fernandez and most recently Joselu Mato. Atletico Madrid’s two title wins under Diego Simeone cannot be understood without the sweat of Correa or Raul Garcia and Mario Suarez before him.

Certainly in the case of the Argentinian, his contribution saved Atletico’s title challenge from capsizing before it was out of the port, and there is no guarantees of Real Madrid’s victory without that of Brahim. It keeps both within two games of Barcelona, and the noise outside Simeone and Ancelotti’s office to a bare minimum with two weeks before they could take corrective action.

The other major headline from the weekend’s action was Barcelona‘s 7-0 demolition of Real Valladolid, their biggest win in eight years, and it’s hard to think of too many victories involving more fun in that period. Hansi Flick is sleeping soundly so far, with his side taking the bends smoothly.

Little else could be asked of him or his side, but more will be. Perhaps the biggest question is whether he has enough of those quintessential ingredients to success behind Lamine Yamal, Robert Lewandowski and Dani Olmo. Flick’s squad is not short on quality, but it is undeniably thin below the surface. Recently injured Fermin Lopez runs, tackles and hits the ball like a boxer, but will a Seydou Keita or an Adriano appear beside him when the time comes?

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Tags Angel Correa Atletico Madrid Barcelona Brahim Diaz Real Madrid

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