Kylian Mbappe’s absence vs Barcelona could benefit Real Madrid as eye-opening stat emerges

Barcelona and Real Madrid will face off this Sunday in a new edition of El Clasico, a match that could go down in history if Los Blaugranas secure either a win or a draw that clinches the La Liga title. Against that backdrop, Kylian Mbappe’s availability remains uncertain, something that could strangely end up benefiting Los Blancos.

The French forward missed Real Madrid’s last match, a 2-0 victory over Espanyol last Sunday in La Liga. The absence was due to a muscle injury, leaving him questionable for El Clasico. It’s still unclear whether he will be available and, if so, whether he would start or come off the bench.

However, despite what might initially seem obvious, Real Madrid may actually be better off without their star player fully involved. Statistics show that in the last six matches in which Real Madrid had Mbappe in the starting lineup, they managed to win only once.

That could simply be viewed as evidence of the struggles experienced by Alvaro Arbeloa’s side this season rather than an issue specifically related to the French forward, if not for another revealing statistic: with Mbappe absent or coming off the bench, Real Madrid won seven of their last eight matches.

Real Madrid’s record with and without Mbappe

Hampered by different physical issues since late 2025, Kylian Mbappe has missed several Real Madrid matches in recent months. The team initially struggled without him to the point of being eliminated from the Copa del Rey, but later appeared to find a formula for success even without their biggest star.

The last eight matches without Mbappe in the starting lineup include victories over Manchester City in both legs and one against Benfica in the UEFA Champions League, as well as wins against Celta Vigo, Elche, Atletico Madrid and Espanyol in La Liga. The only blemish on that run was the March 2 loss to Getafe.

On the other hand, when the French star started matches, results were far less convincing. Real Madrid lost both matches against Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarterfinals, in addition to a La Liga defeat against Mallorca. They also drew against Real Betis and Girona. The only victory during that stretch with Mbappe in the starting lineup came on April 21 against Alaves.

How have Real Madrid replaced Mbappe?

Given Mbappe’s recurring injury absences throughout the year, Alvaro Arbeloa has been forced to look for solutions to replace him. The most obvious option was Gonzalo Garcia, the backup center forward available on the roster, and he has indeed been one of the alternatives used by the coach.

However, in most cases Arbeloa opted for a different approach: moving Vinicius Junior into a more central attacking role instead of his usual position as a left winger, giving him the freedom to occupy spaces as he saw fit. In many of those matches, the Brazilian star was also partnered in attack by Brahim Diaz.