Kylian Mbappe missed his second penalty in eight days as Real Madrid fell to a 2-1 defeat at Athletic Club in La Liga. The French forward had a chance to equalize in the 68th minute, but his penalty was saved by Athletic’s goalkeeper Julen Agirrezabala. This miss followed a similar fate against Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League just a week earlier.

Despite the setback, Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham managed to equalize for the visitors with 12 minutes remaining, only for substitute Gorka Guruzeta to score a late winner after a mistake by Federico Valverde.

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti acknowledged that Mbappe was not at his best level, but he backed the winger to improve, stating, “He is not at his best level, but you have to give him time to adapt.” Ancelotti defended Mbappe’s overall performance, emphasizing that a missed penalty should not define a player’s game.

Mbappe’s record for Real Madrid since his summer move stands at 10 goals in 20 matches, three of which have come from the penalty spot. However, he has struggled in recent matches, scoring just three goals in his last 11 appearances.

Ancelotti also defended Valverde after the midfielder’s mistake led to Guruzeta’s winner, saying, “Fede [Valverde] is a great player. Mistakes in football are made, like everyone else.”

Despite the loss, Ancelotti felt Real Madrid deserved a point, noting, “I think the match was a draw. For what the two teams did, for me, it was a draw, but there’s nothing to say about the fact that they have won.”

Real Madrid now sit four points behind La Liga leaders Barcelona, but Ancelotti remains optimistic, urging his team to focus on their next match against Girona.