'He's not even a football player' – French press rips Kylian Mbappe after Real Madrid's defeat at Liverpool

Real Madrid were desperately disappointing throughout their 2-0 Champions League defeat at Liverpool on Wednesday night, and much of the criticism on the back of it was aimed directly at Kylian Mbappe. In the absence of Vinicius Junior, the French forward failed to get going, and also missed a crucial penalty when the game was 1-0.

Carlo Ancelotti supported his player in the immediate aftermath of the Anfield showdown, but the press in Mbappe's homeland was not so forgiving. According to Relevo, RMC Sport's assessment of his performance was particularly damning.

“Even the way he shoots in the goal is horrible. It emanates concern, he's not even a footballer anymore. On the field he doesn't do anything anymore, he doesn't achieve anything, he can't run or move. He's at the bottom of the mine” .

Le Parisien labeled Mbappe a “castaway”, while L'Equipe called it one of the 25-year-old's darkest moments as a footballer.

“Without Vinicius, he suffered the comparison and could not assume the role of leader. It will be a night that he will soon forget – he missed a lot of passes, he lost a ball that caused the first chance for the net, he missed a poorly executed penalty, he was unable to create danger. His lack of confidence is detrimental Real Madrid.”