Mbappe furiously heads directly to the tunnel after the crushing defeat to Atletico Madrid, avoiding handshakes with rivals or expressing gratitude to supporters, openly revealing his frustration with Real Madrid.
Mbappe once again put his name on the scoresheet for Real Madrid in the 25th minute, leveling the score after Robin Le Normand’s opening goal. Young talent Arda Güler then put the visitors ahead, seemingly on course to secure three valuable points against Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid.
However, Alexander Sørloth managed to equalize just before halftime. In the second half, Atletico exploded by scoring three consecutive goals to win 5-2, leaving Mbappe stunned. Furious over his team's collapse, the French striker went straight to the locker room without showing any fair play or acceptance of defeat.
This loss caused Real Madrid to lose their advantage, opening the door for Barcelona to overtake them at the top of La Liga and shaking up the title race. Atletico has remained unbeaten in six consecutive matches against their archrivals, while Mbappe has yet to taste victory in the Madrid derby on the domestic stage. Although Real previously defeated Atletico in the Champions League, Simeone remains a persistent challenge, even as Mbappe has scored his eighth La Liga goal this season. The French star is currently in his best form since joining Los Blancos, needing only one chance to beat goalkeeper Jan Oblak. However, his outstanding performance risks being overshadowed if Madrid’s defense continues to show vulnerability.
The defeat to Atletico serves as a clear warning for coach Xabi Alonso and his team, especially as the title race with Barcelona is expected to be decided by the smallest margins. Real Madrid’s efforts to strengthen their defense have been hindered by top target William Saliba rejecting a long-term contract offer from Arsenal. The club has also been linked with Liverpool’s center-back Ibrahima Konaté, but signing him before next summer looks highly unlikely.
After the final whistle, only Dean Huijsen, Raul Asencio, and Gonzalo García stayed behind to applaud the Madrid fans in the away section. Mbappe faced criticism for his attitude on the pitch, with his shaky start in the Spanish capital partly attributed to this. Although the French forward is said to have changed his mindset recently, his decision to leave the field immediately after a humiliating loss will surely disappoint Madrid supporters.
Before the match, coach Xabi Alonso praised his players’ spirit, affirming that the team is building a solid foundation for success. The Spanish coach stated: “We are on the right path, both in terms of results and how we operate. It has been 51 days, and there is still a long way to go. We want to build a strong base to compete in the Champions League, La Liga, and Copa del Rey. Many players feel connected, which is important, but there are still many things to improve. This is just the beginning, and we want to keep competing.”
However, after the defeat, Alonso could not hide his disappointment but maintained a positive attitude: “It was a poor game. We didn’t perform well, both as a team and in pressing. We were not at the level we need to be. This is a building phase; today was the first loss, and we must learn from it, no excuses. Losing a derby is truly painful, and this defeat was deserved. We lacked the necessary sharpness.”
Real Madrid will continue their Champions League campaign this week with an away trip to Kazakhstan to face Kairat. After returning from European competition, Los Blancos will meet Villarreal in La Liga, aiming to regain form and keep competing with Barcelona.