On January 20th, Real Madrid completed a comeback victory against Las Palmas in the La Liga match. Real Madrid started the game off poorly, conceding a goal within the first 30 seconds as Fabio Silva breached their defense. However, under the leadership of Kylian Mbappe, Real Madrid scored multiple goals to secure the win and claim the top spot in the La Liga standings. The headline reads: "Real Madrid 4-1: Who's Absent, Who's Embarrassed! Ancelotti Activates Mbappe, 6 Goals in 3 Games, 200 Million Forward May Be Cashed Out."
This was Mbappe's best performance since joining Real Madrid, as he was directly or indirectly involved in all four of the team's goals. In the 18th minute, Mbappe successfully deceived Las Palmas' goalkeeper Cillessen with a penalty kick to equalize the score for Real Madrid. In the 33rd minute, after his long-range shot was saved, Mbappe maintained possession, allowing Vasquez to assist Diaz in scoring. In the 36th minute, Rodrigo broke through from the left flank and crossed the ball, enabling Mbappe to score his second goal of the match. In the 57th minute, Mbappe passed the ball to Garcia on the left flank, who then assisted Rodrigo in scoring another goal for Real Madrid.
Mbappe also had two shots hit the frame of the goal, completed two dribbles, provided five passes that led to shots, created two goal-scoring opportunities, and made two interceptions. His outstanding performance earned him a perfect score of 10 out of 10 post-match. Mbappe has been gradually finding his form at Real Madrid, contributing to six goals in the team's last three matches. He scored against Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup, netted again in the King's Cup match against Celta Vigo, and was involved in four goals against Las Palmas.
Mbappe's strong performances have undoubtedly affected Vinicius Junior's position within the team. Currently, with players like Vinicius (valued at 200 million euros), Bellingham (180 million), Mbappe (160 million), and Rodrigo (100 million) all needing shooting opportunities, it is not ideal for them to play together. Starting with three of them is the most reasonable arrangement.
Furthermore, Vinicius, Mbappe, and Rodrigo are all left wingers. Having all three on the field simultaneously makes the team's lineup somewhat "deformed." Having one of them on the bench would allow Real Madrid's system to operate more smoothly, achieving a better balance in both attack and defense. Rodrigo can also play as a right winger, while both Mbappe and Vinicius are left-sided players, making it a luxury to have either of them on the bench.
Mbappe's commercial value surpasses that of Vinicius, and he does not have as many negative news stories associated with him. With his recent upswing in form, Real Madrid could fully support Mbappe and consider selling Vinicius. By rotating Mbappe and Rodrigo on the left flank, having Bellingham as the attacking midfielder, and starting with another player like Diaz or someone else, Real Madrid could perform even better. After all, Florentino Perez was able to sell Cristiano Ronaldo, so selling Vinicius is certainly a possibility.