Mbappe and Xabi Alonso cause a major scandal at Real Madrid

Kylian Mbappe may have netted a brace to secure Real Madrid’s win over Talavera in the Spanish King's Cup on the morning of December 18th, yet both he and coach Xabi Alonso dominated the headlines.

Real Madrid’s progress was far from convincing as they struggled to narrowly defeat Talavera, who currently sit 19th in the Spanish third division, with a tight 3-2 scoreline in the Copa del Rey.

However, what truly stirred the media frenzy was coach Xabi Alonso’s decision to play Kylian Mbappe for the full 90 minutes. After a somewhat shaky start at Santiago Bernabeu, the French striker has now genuinely become the team’s top superstar, demonstrated by his 28 goals in 23 appearances this season. With a total of 58 goals in 2025, Mbappe is on the verge of breaking Cristiano Ronaldo’s calendar year scoring record for this historic club, as Real Madrid hosts Sevilla in La Liga this weekend, which will also be the team’s final match in December.

Alonso’s choice to field Mbappe (a player who is currently in the process of recovering from an injury) for the entire match against a weaker opponent sparked harsh criticism. AS expert Ruben Martin bluntly stated: “What Xabi did with Mbappe was irresponsible. It’s truly reckless to let a player, who is only about 60–70% fit and had to struggle through the game against Alaves, play again just three days later in the Copa del Rey.”

He continued strongly: “This is the coach’s irresponsibility, and I don’t care if anyone says he’s risking his job, because if Xabi Alonso thinks he can’t beat Talavera with Endrick, Gonzalo, or Mastantuono then…”

Not only AS but Marca also joined the debate: “Mbappe couldn’t even play a single minute against Manchester City due to fitness issues. Yet just seven days later, he played the full 90 minutes against Talavera. It’s baffling from start to finish.

The reason behind this ‘madness’ seems to be the French player’s goal to match Cristiano Ronaldo’s calendar year goal record. But the worst part for Madrid is that he ultimately remains decisive. Indeed, even when facing Talavera, Mbappe could not be rested.”

In response to the criticism, Alonso defended his decision by highlighting Mbappe’s contribution: “He was decisive with two goals. Kylian always has a striker’s instinct. The third goal was crucial, and that’s why we kept him on the pitch,” the Spanish coach said.