Xabi Alonso, the Real Madrid coach, has said that Kylian Mbappe is instrumental for the team more than his goalscoring prowess.
The French international scored four goals against Olympiacos in last week’s Champions League match, making his tally 9 goals in Champions League and 23 goals in 19 games across all competitions this season.
“He’s been very good individually, helping the team a lot,” Alonso said at a news conference ahead of Wednesday’s La Liga clash with Athletic Bilbao.
“It’s not just about goals for Kylian, which in the end is the most important thing, but he does other hugely fundamental things like leadership, influence, helping his teammates, and that’s so important day to day.”
Xabi Alonso’s side is one point behind the league leader, Barcelona, after a third draw on Sunday against Girona.
Spanish media have speculated that Alonso’s future at the club could be in jeopardy if results do not improve.
He further said he has recently held discussions with Real Madrid president Florentino Perez about uplifting the team’s form.
“The conversations are very positive, in a good tone, wanting to improve the results, and that’s what we’ve spoken about,” Alonso said.
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