September 9: Mbappe Trains Extra Penalties After Betis Miss, Says Mourinho Does Not Need to Please Him

At Madrid's training base on September 8, Mbappe did not immediately head to the dressing room after the group match. Instead, he stayed on the pitch for ten extra minutes to practice penalties. Less than a week earlier, he missed a crucial stoppage-time penalty against Real Betis in La Liga's third round, and his follow-up shot was also saved, leaving Real Madrid's 20 shots without reward and ending their three-match winning start.

The 0-1 defeat did not immediately trigger the large-scale criticism usually seen after a Real Madrid loss. Instead, Mbappe's silence after the match and his later France Football interview statement, "I would vote for myself for the Ballon d'Or," focused all the controversy on him.

With less than 20 hours before Real Madrid's Champions League opener against Inter Milan, Mbappe did not avoid discussing last week's mistake in front of beIN Sports cameras. He admitted he wasted too many scoring chances and said clearly that this would not happen again in upcoming matches.

Many viewed the interview as ordinary pre-match motivation, but missed another reality hidden in his words.

During the past month, several conflicting issues have surrounded Mbappe: he scored consecutive hat-tricks in La Liga's opening two rounds and looked close to his World Cup peak, yet his lack of pressing habits without the ball was exposed against Betis' deep defense; after winning three Golden Boots and entering the Ballon d'Or race, he said he would vote for himself, only to fall to third in betting rankings behind Kane and Yamal; French media also reported his name appeared on a kidnapping plan list involving an 18-year-old detained suspect, and days after police prevented the case, he returned to training without showing much public emotion.

Any one of these events could distract an elite player for a long time, but all of them arrived within one month and fell on the same person.

The most subtle issue was never just the missed penalty, but the chemistry developing between him and Mourinho.

Many fans remember Mourinho's emphasis after returning to Real Madrid on a tough defensive culture, requiring all attacking players to participate in high pressing rather than treating defense as only midfielders' and defenders' responsibility.

However, Mbappe said in an interview that his responsibility was scoring goals and that he could not be expected to defend as frequently as Dembele and Raphinha, a comment that caused controversy in Spanish football.

Everyone waited to see Mourinho's response, but the Portuguese coach did not publicly criticize any player by name. He only said after the match that attacking players needed to contribute more without the ball, which was a basic requirement of the team's tactics.

When Mbappe said Mourinho did not need to please him, he effectively revealed their understanding: he knows Mourinho's tactical demands and the gap between his habits and the system, but chose not to confront him publicly. Instead, he drew a professional line: I respect your tactics, you do not need to protect my star status, and we will solve problems through performances.

This understanding is more important than many people imagine.

Real Madrid will host Inter Milan at the Bernabeu at 3 a.m. on September 9. It is Mourinho's first official Champions League match after his second spell at Real Madrid and his first time facing the club he once guided to a treble as Madrid coach.

The squad problems facing him are severe. Bernardo, Camavinga and Guler are suspended in Europe, Tchouameni and Thiago Pitarch are injured, Rodrygo is out long term with a serious cruciate ligament injury, and Valverde is almost the only established midfield starter available.

Observers are wondering whether Mourinho will move Bellingham back into midfield or use Castilla youngsters temporarily. In this situation, Real Madrid cannot afford to lose Mbappe's finishing ability.

Even if his off-ball coverage does not reach Mourinho's expected level, maintaining elite bursts and shooting ability in the final 30 meters of counterattacks can greatly reduce pressure on the weakened midfield.

Inter Milan are certainly not an opponent that can be easily defeated.

After the new Serie A season began, the Nerazzurri produced a perfect three-game winning start, scoring eight goals and conceding three. They came back from two goals down to beat Napoli 3-2 last round, with Lautaro scoring twice including a stoppage-time winner, and team morale is at its highest.

Inter have gone unbeaten in their last ten matches, their resilience and counterattacking ability against strong teams have been proven, and with almost their entire squad healthy they can use a practical defensive approach against Real Madrid's weakened midfield.

Although Real Madrid have won six and drawn one of their last seven meetings with Inter and have a seven-match winning streak against them at the Bernabeu, things are different now. A short-handed midfield means Madrid cannot control the tempo as comfortably as before, and Inter's transition attacks led by Lautaro could create serious problems.

Looking back at Mbappe's interview, it becomes clear that his statement that he would not waste chances again was not just ordinary pre-match talk.

He understands better than anyone that Real Madrid are at a special point. Their opening four La Liga matches brought 10 points, Vinicius has signed a long-term deal worth 25 million euros, the dressing room is being rebuilt under Mourinho's strict management, and every match in the Champions League league phase directly affects the final ranking.

Mbappe won the La Liga Golden Boot, Champions League Golden Boot and World Cup Golden Boot over the past two seasons, but he still has not won the most prestigious team trophies. Real Madrid's two consecutive trophyless seasons remain attached to him, and everyone wants to see whether he can break that pattern under Mourinho.

Discussions about Mbappe often swing between calling him a statistical machine and a team weakness, but few notice that he is already 27 and no longer needs public comments to prove his presence.

His willingness to say he would vote for himself before the Ballon d'Or, admit after the missed penalty that he wasted too many chances, and state publicly that Mourinho does not need to please him all come from knowing his own position.

He does not need to please anyone to keep his starting place, nor does he need to artificially adapt to defensive demands to prove professionalism. The balance reached between him and Mourinho is exactly what Real Madrid need in a Champions League opener with an incomplete squad.

No one can guarantee Real Madrid three points against Inter, but if Mbappe stops focusing on Ballon d'Or votes and outside controversy and puts all his concentration into bursts and finishing in the final 30 meters, he remains one of Europe's forwards most capable of changing matches through individual ability.