Real Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa mounted a strong defence of Kylian Mbappé, who was criticised for what some perceived as a lack of defensive effort in last week’s Champions League defeat to Bayern Munich.
Arbeloa, who is under pressure with Real all but certain to finish the season without a trophy, said Mbappé had nothing to reproach himself for and added that, apart from scoring in both legs of the quarterfinal, he had “given his all in defence”.
Real lost 4-3 in a thrilling second leg to Bayern, which progressed 6-4 on aggregate, with the Spanish side reduced to 10 men after Eduardo Camavinga was sent off in the 86th minute.
Bayern scored twice after the dismissal, which triggered criticism of Mbappé.
Arbeloa, however, dismissed those claims at his pre-match press conference on Monday ahead of Real’s home game against Alavés.
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“I have nothing to reproach Kylian about,” Arbeloa said. “He was at the top of his game, he scored in both legs and was a constant threat to their defence.
“He gave his all in defence, he worked really hard. I was thoroughly satisfied with his performance in that match,” added the 43-year-old.
Mbappé, who has scored 40 goals in all competitions in his second season in Spain, will have to wait longer to fulfil what Arbeloa described as his “dream” of winning the Champions League.
That ambition was one of the key reasons behind his move from Paris Saint-Germain, which went on to win the title last season.
Arbeloa’s own future remains uncertain, with Barcelona leading Real by nine points in La Liga with seven matches remaining. The Spaniard, who replaced Xabi Alonso earlier this season, said his fate was not in his hands but insisted there was no need for a “huge revolution” at the club to bounce back next season.
Published on Apr 20, 2026
