Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso has assured fans that Kylian Mbappé will be ready to feature in Sunday’s Spanish Super Cup final clash against Barcelona.
Mbappé was left out of the squad that travelled to Saudi Arabia for the semifinal showdown with Atlético Madrid due to a knee sprain he picked up earlier in the week. Despite his absence, Real Madrid edged past their city rivals with a 2–1 win in Jeddah on Thursday, January 9, securing their place in the much-anticipated El Clásico final.
Addressing the media after the win, Alonso stated: “Mbappé is improving significantly, he feels fine, and he has the same chance of being selected as any other player.” He confirmed that the star forward would join the team in Jeddah on Friday.
The 27-year-old Frenchman remains the focal point of Real Madrid’s attack, leading the team’s scoring this season with an impressive 29 goals in 24 matches across all competitions. His return comes at a crucial moment as Madrid prepare to face defending champions Barcelona, who cruised past Athletic Bilbao with a dominant 5–0 performance in Wednesday’s semi-final.
However, recent matches have shown that Real Madrid’s strength goes beyond just Mbappé. Even without their star signing, the team’s rhythm and results have remained consistently strong.
Since Mbappé joined the club in the summer of 2024, Madrid have averaged 2.16 points per game when he starts. Surprisingly, that number rises slightly to 2.18 points per game in matches he has missed.
Goal statistics show a similar trend. Sofascore data reveals that the team scores 2.19 goals per match with Mbappé on the pitch and 2.09 goals when he is unavailable.
Although goal output drops a bit, defensive stability improves in his absence. Madrid concede fewer goals—1.00 per match without him compared to 1.19 with him—while their clean sheet record remains largely consistent.
There are, however, noticeable tactical adjustments. Without Mbappé, Real Madrid take fewer shots—falling from 17.8 attempts per match to 15.4—and create fewer clear scoring chances. At the same time, opponents tend to see more of the ball and create more attempts of their own.
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