LaLiga: Álvaro Arbeloa responds to the comparison between Vinícius Júnior and Kylian Mbappé

Following Real Madrid’s controlled victory over Espanyol (2-0) in La Liga, Álvaro Arbeloa was invited to compare Vinícius Júnior’s involvement to that of Kylian Mbappé. A question the Madrid coach quickly dismissed. At the RCDE Stadium, the Merengues made the difference thanks to a Vinícius brace, with him particularly in the spotlight. But for Arbeloa, the essential thing is elsewhere. “I don’t compare players. We need everyone. I’ve always said: it takes everyone’s commitment to win matches.”, he insisted in the mixed zone, according to MadridXtra.

The former Real Madrid defender also pointed to a deficit in collective intensity. “It hurts me to see other teams run more than we do. If we want to be a complete team, involvement must be total.”, he added, reminding that “talent alone is not enough” in a club as demanding as Real Madrid. Absent for this match, Mbappé continues his convalescence after a hamstring injury, leaving the field open for Vinícius to shine at the forefront of Madrid’s attack.