Kylian Mbappe's much-talked-about transfer to Real Madrid in June finally wrapped up a seven-year saga. However, things haven't gone as the club hoped, as the French star is struggling with his performance. Just last week, he faced criticism for missing a penalty during Madrid's 0-2 loss to Liverpool in the Champions League. He had another chance to redeem himself on Wednesday when he took a penalty against Athletic Club.

The Frenchman missed another penalty as Real Madrid fell to a 1-2 loss. Bilbao got on the scoreboard first with Alejandro Remiro scoring in the 53rd minute, and then Mbappe had a chance to equalize but missed the penalty.

Jude Bellingham brought Madrid level in the 78th minute, but their joy was short-lived as Gorka Guruzeta netted a late winner for Bilbao, sealing a 2-1 victory.

This result keeps Real Madrid four points adrift of league leaders Barcelona. After the game, Mbappe took to social media to express, “Not the result we wanted. A big mistake in a match where every detail matters. I take full responsibility. It’s a tough moment, but it’s the perfect time to turn things around and show my true self.”

On the other hand, Madrid's manager Carlo Ancelotti commented, “I haven’t talked to him. I don’t think it’s fair to judge a player’s performance just because of a penalty. Sometimes you score, sometimes you miss. He’s obviously feeling down, but we need to move forward. Mistakes happen in football.”

He's not quite hitting his peak performance yet, but we need to let him find his rhythm. He’s netted 10 goals so far, and I know he can improve; he’s putting in the effort to do just that. He stepped up to take the shot, but it didn’t pan out this time. That’s just part of the game, though, he mentioned.

Mbappe officially joined Madrid on June 3 and has taken the iconic no. 9 jersey, which was previously held by the legendary Karim Benzema. His unveiling at the Santiago Bernabeu drew a crowd of 80,000 fans, matching the turnout for Cristiano Ronaldo’s debut in 2009.

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