Carlo Ancelotti said Kylian Mbappé is suffering from “a lack of confidence” after the forward missed a penalty in Real Madrid’s 2-0 Champions League defeat to Liverpool on Wednesday.
Mbappé had the chance to level the game at 1-1 in the 61st minute — after Alexis Mac Allister had put Liverpool ahead at Anfield — but his spot kick was saved by Caoimhín Kelleher.
Mohamed Salah also missed a penalty, before Cody Gakpo doubled the home side’s lead with a header to put Liverpool top of the Champions League table and leave Madrid struggling in 24th place.
“It happens a lot with forwards; there are times when it’s hard for them to score,” Ancelotti said in his postmatch news conference. “There’s a cure, and it’s patience. It’s a difficult moment for him, above all today, with the missed penalty. Everyone has to support him.
“It could be a lack of confidence. Sometimes, when you have a moment when things aren’t going well, the idea is to play simply, and you can complicate things a bit. He’s scored a lot of penalties. Sometimes you can miss one.
“He has to work, keep fighting, and the moment will pass.”
Mbappé has now scored just two goals in his past nine Madrid games in all competitions, and he has failed to find the net in their past four Champions League matches.
