Mbappe and Vinicius: Kings of the Jungle Facing Challenges at Real Madrid

Steve McManaman believes Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior remain “kings of the jungle” as individual forces – but insists Real Madrid’s star-studded attack still hasn’t clicked when it matters most.

Speaking to GOAL on behalf of ESPN on Disney+, with Jose Mourinho set for his first La Liga game back in charge when Real visit Espanyol on Saturday, the former Madrid midfielder laid out the harsh reality of life at the Bernabeu.

Mbappe, Vini Jr and a puzzle still unsolved

“Off the scale,” McManaman said of the pressure on Mbappe alongside Vinicius. Then he paused on the bigger issue.

“It's strange sort of, it's not a criticism, it's just the pieces don't fit together at the moment of Madrid, that's all it is.”

On their own, he sees two unstoppable forces.

“Individually when they're suspended or one's injured or one's off the field, both of them [Mbappe and Vini Jr] are the kings of the jungle, they're the best players on the pitch, they're the ones who really stand out and look like incredible superstar players.”

Put them together, though, and the recent record is brutal.

“But when they're together, what has shown over the last couple of years is that they haven't won anything and if you follow Real Madrid, you follow La Liga, you know it’s either win or it's a disaster. When Barcelona are winning everything else and beating you in finals along the way, it is a disaster.”

That word – disaster – is no exaggeration in Madrid terms. Second place is not a cushion. It’s a bruise.

Barcelona’s surge and Madrid’s narrow misses

McManaman pointed to a series of near-misses that have defined Madrid’s recent seasons.

“They've come very close in Copa del Rey games, in the Super Cup, losing last-minute goals, missing chances but you have to get over the line and when it's Barcelona who have also strengthened, that's when it starts to get precarious and you know the fans let it be known on a number of occasions last year about the team - even though they finished second and went down fighting to a Bayern Munich team in the Champions League and I thought the performance against them was good.”

So this is not a crisis of quality, in his eyes. It’s about edge. About finishing. About delivering when the trophy is on the line.

“So they're not far away, but they just need a little bit of powder, a little bit of special magic and whether Jose brings that or whether the new signings bring it, we'll wait and see.”

The stakes rise again with Barcelona strengthening, including the headline arrival of Rodri.

“We all hope it's going to be a magnificent year and I think it will be and I think there'll be fireworks and I think it'll be great as well with Rodri signing for Barcelona - that just chucks another superstar into the mix.”

Mourinho’s mission: beat Barcelona, again and again

Amid all the noise, McManaman sees Mourinho’s job in stark terms.

“But it doesn't matter, Jose's been brought in to finish Barcelona, to beat Barcelona and beat Barcelona again and again and again and that's all it is. Anybody can go into Real Madrid today, you could go in and finish second, I could go in and finish second, what they've been doing and letting the superstars run the show, but Jose's been brought in for a reason.”

That reason is built on trust from the very top.

“Florentino [Perez] trusts him, he believes that he can get the best out of whoever it is, control the egos, whatever the dressing room says - I don't think it's as bad as it's being portrayed because there's always egos in that dressing room and they're all very professional, but it's up to Jose to get over the line. Simple as that, no more no less, he just has to win.”

Mbappe, Vinicius, a rearmed Barcelona with Rodri, and Mourinho back prowling the touchline. Real Madrid do not deal in transition seasons. They deal in trophies – or disasters.