Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe were supposed to share the same pitch in one of the most anticipated UEFA Champions League nights of the season, yet one of modern soccer’s defining duels never materialized. As Manchester City returned to the Santiago Bernabeu for another heavyweight meeting with Real Madrid, only Haaland stepped into the spotlight—while Mbappe remained on the bench, unable to participate. The Norwegian later addressed the moment directly, revealing his true feelings with a 10-word claim that added intrigue to an already tense night in European soccer.
Manchester City’s 2-1 victory in the Spanish capital not only revived its group-stage momentum but also reignited the conversation about these two global stars—Haaland thriving at the heart of a dominant City, and Mbappe carrying enormous expectations at a Madrid stepping through an uneven season.
Los Blancos entered the match believing recent progress under Xabi Alonso was beginning to take shape, even after their loss to Celta Vigo. Their pressing, intensity, and organization looked improved, but everything collapsed in the decisive zones. Without Mbappe, Real Madrid produced just one shot on target, their lowest output in a Champions League home match since 2003-04.
However, the issue wasn’t effort. Madrid registered 16 total attempts, tried wide overloads, transition breaks, set pieces, and even deployed Vinicius Junior temporarily as a No. 9. None of it worked.
Mbappe, nursing discomfort in his left knee as well as a recent finger fracture, watched from the sideline as his team struggled to convert promising possession into real danger. The statistics underline his absence: the Frenchman averages a Champions League goal every 3.55 shots, a level of efficiency no one else in Alonso’s squad can replicate.
What did Haaland say about Mbappe?
Asked afterwards whether the Frenchman’s absence gave the visitors an advantage, Haaland did not hide the emotional complexity of the moment. His 10-word true feelings emerged in the middle of his answer, expressing not relief, but competitive disappointment: “Not happy because you want to play against the best”.
Haaland’s honest admission shows that elite players measure themselves against their equals, not their absences. Still, he acknowledged the psychological ripple it caused: “Of course, when a player like Kylian doesn’t play… it gives you a bit of a psychological boost.” City felt it, Madrid felt it, and the Norwegian himself felt the anticlimax of a duel denied.
