Kylian Mbappe hoped his move to Real Madrid would finally end his wait to win the Champions League. That felt a long way off on Wednesday after a 2-0 defeat to Liverpool left the defending champion in danger of being eliminated from European club soccer's elite tournament at the first stage and in a fight just to make the playoffs for the next round.
If Madrid does make an early exit, Mbappe may look back on a miserable night at Anfield where he was humbled by a young defender and then missed a penalty that would have leveled the score.
Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said afterward the star forward was going through a “difficult moment” just months after he joined the record 15-time European champion.
"We've got to give him our support and love and he will soon be fine," Ancelotti said as he faced multiple questions from Spanish reporters about Mbappe's form.
"It could be lack of confidence maybe. Sometimes when moments in the game and things are not working out, the idea is to keep things simple. Don't complicate things."
"He's going through that moment now. You get through them. Don't blame him for missing a penalty. People miss penalties. We can't put too much grief on him for that.” World Cup winner Mbappe looked a shadow of himself against a Liverpool team that leads the way in the Premier League and the Champions League this season.
He was brought crashing down by a crunching tackle from 21-year-old right back Conor Bradley when threatening to burst through on goal in the first half — sparking a huge cheer from the home crowd.
And it got worse for Mbappe in the second half when he had the chance to make it 1-1 from the penalty spot after Alexis Mac Allister had given six-time European champion Liverpool the lead. But with Caoimhin Kelleher to beat, he saw his effort pushed away by Liverpool's back-up goalkeeper.
Mbappe has scored nine goals in 18 appearances for Madrid since leaving Paris Saint-Germain as a free agent at the end of last season. But he has only one goal in the Champions League for his new club, which has lost three of its five games in the revamped competition.
"Things are not running for him. We've got to be patient. He is an extraordinary player — a fantastic player," Ancelotti said.
Madrid is 24th in the new-look 36-team league phase of the competition. The top eight teams advance to the round of 16, while those ranked ninth to 24th go into a playoff.
Mbappe wasn't the only player to fail to score a penalty in the match, with Mohamed Salah also missing a spot kick of his own. But substitute Cody Gakpo doubled Liverpool's advantage.
Victory saw new Liverpool head coach Arne Slot manage something his predecessor Jurgen Klopp never could by beating Real in the Champions League. Klopp lost five and drew once in six games against Madrid — including two defeats in the final.
Liverpool extended its perfect record in the Champions League this season and is top of the standings after five games. Each team plays eight games in the opening phase. Madrid plays Atalanta next month and Liverpool faces Girona.
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