Sending Mbappe Free-kicks – Ancelotti’s Mistake

Toni Kroos has been excellent in dad-ball situations, whether it’s assisting a teammate or scoring himself. The German legend has now retired, leaving Real Madrid with a tough question: who will be the new free-kck taker at the Bernabeu?

According to Marca, Los Blancos have now decided who will replace Kroos in taking direct free-kicks: none other than their latest Galactico, Kylian Mbappe. The French superstar will also be responsible for taking free-kicks from dangerous positions. While this is a privilege, the 25-year-old’s record will worry Real Madrid fans, as he has proven that he is not the right man for this particular role.

During his time at AS Monaco and Paris Saint-Germain, Mbappe scored 192 goals in 246 games – a remarkable return. However, none of those goals came from direct free-kicks, which makes Carlo Ancelotti’s decision to pick him to take them at Real Madrid truly puzzling – if Marca is to be believed. According to statistics, the French superstar took nine shots from ded-ball situations, scored none and posted an expected xG of just 0.58.

Mbappe was much more successful from the penalty spot, where he converted 20 of his 24 attempts. It’s unclear whether Mbappe was promised every chance to take a set-piece to increase his chances of scoring in the famous white shirt, but the decision seems odd. Perhaps Mbappe wants to follow in the footsteps of his idol, Cristiano Ronaldo, and be consistent with free-kicks.

At EURO 2024, Ronaldo – in the latter years of his career – wasted good opportunities from set pieces. This is despite the fact that Portugal have better options from set pieces, such as Bruno Fernandes. According to GIVEMESPORT statistics: Cristiano Ronaldo has a conversion rate of 1.7% when taking free kicks in major international tournaments (1 goal in 60 attempts).

Other options for Real Madrid

According to a report from Marca, there are backup options for Mbappe in Real Madrid’s free kck department that are even better suited to the job. One example is David Alaba. Despite playing as a defender and being injured for much of last season, the Austrian would be a logical choice, as Alaba has scored 6 goals from direct free kicks in his career.

Turkish youngster Arda Guler is another alternative, if given a chance. The prodigy has yet to score a free-kck for Real Madrid, but his incredible goal in the EURO 2024 quarter-final against the Netherlands highlighted the potential he has.