Kylian Mbappe has defended his defensive contribution after being questioned over whether he and Vinicius Junior need to do more work without the ball.
Real Madrid will begin their Champions League campaign on Tuesday against Inter, with the Spanish giants aiming to go all the way and prevent defending champions Paris Saint-Germain from claiming a third consecutive title.
Mbappe has the chance to further enhance his place among the competition’s all-time leading scorers. A goal against Inter would see him draw level with Real Madrid legend Raul on 71 Champions League goals, moving into joint-fifth place.
The France captain has scored 70 goals in 98 Champions League appearances, including 22 in 25 matches since joining Madrid. Over the past five seasons, Mbappe has also been involved in more Champions League goals than any other player, registering 43 goals and nine assists, while teammate Vinicius has contributed 30 goals and 22 assists.
However, PSG’s success in Europe since Mbappe’s departure has sparked debate over whether their forwards’ greater defensive effort has played a key role in their Champions League triumphs.
Asked whether he needs to improve defensively, Mbappe said: “Just me and Vinicius? Of course, we have to improve. But that’s perfectly natural.
“I can say that I score more goals than the PSG players, and they should be scoring more.
“But I have to be smart and admit that I need to improve, even though I do things the others [PSG players] don’t.
“But it’s a never-ending debate. We all need to improve in this area. And with the ball too.”
Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho will also face a familiar opponent when his side take on Inter, the club he guided to Champions League glory in 2010 at the Bernabeu.
Inter head coach Cristian Chivu was part of Mourinho’s starting XI in that historic triumph.
Mourinho has overseen the fifth-highest number of Champions League matches since the 1992-93 season, managing 160 games. Thirty-six of those came during his previous spell at Real Madrid between 2010 and 2013, when he recorded 24 victories.
The Portuguese manager acknowledged the emotional significance of facing Inter but insisted that his attention during the match would be firmly on securing victory.
“Right now, this isn’t a normal match for me,” said Mourinho. “Afterwards, it will be. But during, no.
“I don’t think anyone will be talking about who’s on the Real Madrid bench during the match. During the game, I won’t be thinking about the past.
“Chivu will always be one of my own. I’m very happy for him, for what he’s achieving. I’ll greet him before and after. During… [only focused on] the match.”