According to Mundo Deportivo, Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappe is working hard to earn a place in the starting line-up for the Club World Cup quarter-final against Borussia Dortmund.
Mbappe, who made his debut in the tournament as a substitute against Juventus, has stepped up his training intensity in recent days.
During the recent training session, one of the standout moments was Mbappe’s determination to increase his pace.
Right now, Xabi Alonso faces a tough decision. Gonzalo Garcia, the young forward from the Real Madrid academy, has impressed everyone with his effort and, most importantly, his goals.
He has been in the starting eleven for all four of Real Madrid’s matches in the Club World Cup so far.
Many fans and experts believe Gonzalo has earned the right to keep his place against Dortmund this Saturday.
But Mbappe does not want to sit on the bench again and is pushing hard to start.
Mbappe only got a few minutes on the pitch against Juventus, and during that time, he looked out of sync with the rest of the team and lacked match sharpness.
But everyone knows he is one of Real Madrid’s biggest stars, if not the main one. The big question now is how Xabi Alonso will handle the situation.
Will he reward Gonzalo’s strong performances and stick with him, or will he bring Mbappe into the starting line-up despite his lack of form?
So far, Alonso has shown he values what players do on the field more than their reputation. Gonzalo’s presence in the starting XI for every Club World Cup match proves that.
The coach’s priority is the team’s performance, not the players’ names, which makes it even more intriguing to see what will happen against Dortmund.