Off the field, everything between Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Jr. is going wonderfully. The problem appears when they put on the Real Madrid shirt and step onto the pitch.
The forwards have a strong personal relationship, but they still struggle to understand each other on the pitch, and their differences have become a headache for José Mourinho.
According to The Athletic’s Mario Cortegana, the Frenchman and the Brazilian have no enmity. However, their competition goes beyond goals and assists and shapes their defensive responsibilities.
Real Madrid Handed Update on Mbappe-Vinicius: ‘They Don’t Connect’
“They get along well, although on the field they don’t connect. They compare themselves in everything. If one doesn’t defend, the other doesn’t either,” a Valdebebas source explained to the journalist.
Another possible source of discomfort is that Vini could be upset by the Merengue backing Mbappé in his Ballon d’Or bid.
The players’ sporting coexistence has no tactical solution because both prefer to attack down the left side and, on many occasions, occupy the same spaces, a difficulty exposed in the 2-1 defeat to Atlético de Madrid.
The statistics from the first eight matches of the season show the two sides of the coin. Mbappé has eight goals and two assists, against one goal and three assists from Vini, whose performance is generating concern within the club. “It’s a football problem and an ego problem, although mainly a football one,” the source told The Athletic.
Carlo Ancelotti, Xabi Alonso and Álvaro Arbeloa all tried to make the most of Mbappé and Vinícius’ talent, but couldn’t make the partnership work as expected when the Frenchman arrived from PSG in 2024.
Now it is Mourinho trying to solve the problem. The coach implemented a 4-2-3-1 setup that lets the forwards protect space without demanding excessive effort. He is also working so that the two occupy different areas during counterattacks.
Despite the difficulties, the coach is not considering benching Vini for now and believes the two players must be on the field as much as possible. That is why the problem is turning good coexistence into a football partnership that lets the Merengue squeeze the duo’s talent.
Real Madrid Get Kylian Mbappe-Vinicius Jr. Update: ‘Ego Problem’ Revealed