Liverpool ran roughshod over Real Madrid in the Champions League on Wednesday, leaving Carlos Ancelotti’s side — particularly Kylian Mbappe — hurt.

At the club, the fans and the media agreed that, with Vinicius Junior absent through injury, this was Mbappe’s day to prove his worth to his new club after a mixed start to the season.

But he did not. Quite the opposite, as he missed the penalty that could have brought his team back into the game.

His plight was summed up at the final whistle, seconds after he had lost possession for the 15th time in a sequence that ended with an amazing Thibaut Courtois save to stop Luis Diaz from making it 3-0. The Frenchman stood for a few moments with his hands on his hips before being the first player to reach the dressing room, crestfallen and consoled on his way by team-mate Jesus Vallejo and assistant manager Davide Ancelotti.

Losing the battle with Bradley

Before his move to Real Madrid was announced, there was debate among fans and in the media about how Mbappe might fit in. The main concern is that his preferred position, on the left, is already occupied by Vinicius Jr, a player rated as the second-best in the world by the Ballon d’Or judges.

The Brazilian started the season on the wing but at Leganes on Sunday, in an attempt to improve the Frenchman’s fortunes, Ancelotti switched their positions.

With Vinicius Jr injured for the trip to Anfield, Mbappe’s area of greatest impact was cleared. And opposite him was Conor Bradley, who was playing just his fourth Champions League game and his first as a starter.

Although Bradley received help from his team-mates, Mbappe continually failed one-on-one with him and against other opponents.

In the opening four minutes, he had the first two losses, celebrated with jubilation by the home fans, who whistled at him throughout. The first mistake led to a Liverpool chance, too, with Raul Asencio clearing off the line.

One of the most significant images came in the 32nd minute, when he challenged Bradley in a race he would have been expected to win easily, but lost. Anfield celebrated it like a goal.

Mbappe finished with just one shot on target (the saved penalty) and another blocked, three successful dribbles (the most, along with Brahim Diaz) out of six, a 75 per cent passing success rate (the lowest outfielder), zero chances created, 15 possessions lost and three recoveries. His erratic display is illustrated in The Athletic’s player dashboard below.

The missed penalty

Mbappe was presented with an opportunity in the second half to change the script.

Eight minutes after going 1-0 down to Alexis Mac Allister’s goal, a combination between substitutes Dani Ceballos and Lucas Vazquez ended in a penalty for a foul on Vazquez. Without Vinicius Jr, there was no doubt the penalty taker would be Mbappe.

Antonio Rudiger stayed close to the ball and his team-mate during the VAR check, making sure no one disturbed him. But when Mbappe stepped up to face Caoimhin Kelleher, Liverpool’s academy goalkeeper came out on top.

Caoimhin Kelleher denies Kylian Mbappé from the spot! 😳

📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/fr45wUF2Cj

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— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) November 27, 2024

Mbappe reacted by putting his hands to his head, though he was a little less expressive afterwards. Briefly, he thought he might have another chance, waiting to hear whether the penalty would be retaken if the goalkeeper had stepped off his line, only to be disappointed again.

A third of his goals this season — three out of nine — have come from penalties. But this was not his night.

Is Mbappe’s attitude an issue?

Body language can only tell us so much but Mbappe’s gestures have not been giving a good impression for some time.

He looked lacking in confidence as he went to the changing room at half-time. After those minutes inside, before returning to the pitch, the cameras caught him apart from a group of team-mates, as if distant, while Jude Bellingham was leading the way, giving directions and encouragement.

Mbappe’s frustration could be seen after Cody Gakpo’s goal made it 2-0 with 14 minutes remaining, protesting to the referee about a possible offside.

Just before that, there had been a moment that reflected his impotence, losing a ball from Luka Modric’s short corner and losing a race back to regain possession.

Many fans also criticised him for his attitude after the game, not going to greet the away stand. He also did not show his face in front of the media or the mixed zone, with Modric, Ceballos and Bellingham representing instead.

Ancelotti was asked about the Frenchman’s mood.

“It could be that he lacks a bit of confidence,” said the Italian. “When you have a moment when things aren’t going your way, the idea you have to have is to play simply and sometimes you complicate things a bit more. But this moment is missing. You can’t judge a player for a missed penalty.”

Support to overcome a difficult period

Mbappe is struggling and his numbers reflect that. He has produced nine goals and two assists in 18 games, at a rate of a goal involvement every 136.5 minutes.

How can he improve his situation?

Perhaps the first step is support from within, something he has been feeling.

Club representatives have gone out of their way to speak highly of him in private with the media, highlighting his high level in training sessions.

Ancelotti and his team-mates have been supportive in public, too.

“Kylian has been criticised in an exaggerated way, it has been very positive how he has contributed. I see him in training and it’s scary,” Bellingham told a press conference on Tuesday.

“The penalty (miss) is not the reason we lost,” said the Englishman on Wednesday.

“Work and keep fighting and keep going, because the moment will pass,” said Ancelotti. “(A situation like this) has happened to me many times in my career, especially with strikers when they struggle to score. There is a medicine: be patient. Everyone has to support him.”

Modric, in captain mode, also offered supportive words in the mixed zone: “It’s his first year and it’s never easy — at Madrid, the first years are complicated. He has our confidence and knows how to get out of this: not to lose confidence, to work day by day.”

Vazquez assured that his team-mates will “always support him, he is a world-class player and he will prove it. The team is always there to help him”.

Ceballos also gave him a nod. “He’s not scoring the goals he wants to score, but we know better than anyone how hard he’s working,” he explained. “It’s difficult to settle at a club like Madrid, but Kylian will do it. I’m sure he will.”

(Top photo: Peter Byrne/PA Images via Getty Images)

Since the NBA is considering altering the format of the All-Star Game, I have some ideas.

USA vs. The World has more juice than ever, from an NBA perspective. Think about the starting lineup the Americans would have to face: Nikola Jokić at center, Luka Dončić and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the backcourt, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Victor Wembanyama as the forwards. USA’s starting five ain’t a joke: Anthony Davis at center, LeBron James and Kevin Durant at forward, Stephen Curry and Anthony Edwards in the backcourt.

Or how about the old heads vs. the next generation? The under-30s against the gray beards. Or, make the dividing line the 2014 draft — halfway between LeBron’s draft and the last one. Turn it into a full-on NBA culture war. Gen Z vs. the Millennials. Make fans pick a side and divide San Francisco’s Chase Center, this season’s host arena, in half.

Oh, wait. Just thought of an even better alteration. The idea to end all ideas, sure to make the All-Star Game spectacular. It’s so clear a solution, it’s hard to believe no one in the NBA hasn’t already thought of it. So sure a fix is this, it might actually sound like a crazy idea.

PLAY HARD.

If not 100 percent, then 75. If not for the whole game, for a half. Even for just the final quarter.

Boom. Problem solved.

Any format changes are but Scotch Tape. Any concocted gimmicks are covering up the real issue like lacquering barbecue sauce on dry beef. The one thing everyone wants is to see the best players earnestly compete against each other.

Figure out what it takes to make that happen and do that. Because no one really wants to see defense powered by apathy and deep 3-pointers hoisted without regard. Otherwise, Washington Wizards games on League Pass would be a party.

The lure of the All-Star Game isn’t simply to see the best players. It’s to witness them face each other. There aren’t any real stakes. So the lone draw is the rare occasion to see opposing teams loaded with superstars go at each other.

The All-Star Game once was the only place to see this collection of stars together. To see what type of personality they had and how they interacted with each other. It was the chance to see some of the new stars you heard about but didn’t get to watch usually.

But in the modern era, we see all of them all of the time. The way social media has reconfigured the landscape and the access to games through cable and streaming already gave them high visibility. And now they’re all pushing podcasts like aunties peddling Mary Kay in the ’90s. The sheer novelty of their presence has been diminished, the pageantry of the annual showcase undermined.

Undoubtedly, the mere gathering of such stars will always be a spectacle. You just don’t get the 10 best players of any era together outside of the All-Star Game, at least not in their prime. But such only increased the demand for a dramatic end to the weekend. The one way to secure it is to find a solution that prompts true competition.

We know they get after it. We know they’ll go hard. All it took was a trip to Las Vegas, some nail polish on the court and a $500,000 purse to make the NBA Cup real.

It’s a little more complicated than players ratcheting up their intensity. It’s not just on the players.

The league would have to make some sacrifices. Part of the issue the players face is the demand for their time during the weekend. The obligations seem to grow and will continue to do so as the league’s partners grow.

That’s the league’s money, so it must be done. But if it damages the product by limiting the potential of the All-Star Game, it’s worth reining in some of the demands.

GO DEEPER

How can the NBA fix the All-Star Game? Our writers share their ideas

As I’ve been told, the players’ preparation is so dramatically different at All-Star. The practices aren’t real, much more like the open-to-the-public practices teams do for their fans. The intrusiveness of the spectacle compromises pregame regimens.

If taking on the Utah Jazz requires full preparation, taking on the best in the league is worthy of it too. If the potential for injury in an exhibition game is a concern, it’s for sure heightened by inadequate prep time. Especially for an All-Star roster replete with players over a decade in.

The NBA can do things to free them up. Give them space for a real practice, one without TV cameras and fans interrupting with cheers.

Clear their schedules for Sunday. Make it all about the game. Even do the eight-hour introductions on Saturday or make the videos on Sunday. An AI-generated hologram of Donovan Mitchell standing on the stage not only works but also fits the Silicon Valley vibes of an All-Star Game in San Francisco. Meanwhile, the players can warm up in the practice facility.

Prioritize the game by making sure they have no excuses not to go hard.

Everything else concocted in the name of entertainment value is rooted in this same principle. From the Elam Ending to the players’ draft themselves to money for chosen charities. It is all designed with the same aim — to manufacture a competitive spirit. To incentivize intensity. To put some juice into the showcase.

Allen Iverson led a 21-point comeback in the 2001 NBA All-Star Game, leading the East to an improbable win over Kobe Bryant and the West. (Andy Hayt / NBAE via Getty Images)

Who could ever forget the 2001 All-Star Game? The Eastern Conference squad, led by Allen Iverson, rallied from a 21-point fourth-quarter deficit to stun the West. It was the most riveting display for a generation. Maybe ever. A comeback for the ages.

It didn’t require some contrived format. They weren’t worried about getting embarrassed or being criticized. They weren’t deterred by the possibility of injury and the jeopardy it could bring. They weren’t obsessed with numbers and recognition.

Yet, they provided an All-Star Game moment for the ages. In the final eight minutes, they lived up to the moment, honored their grand reputations and treated the NBA audience in such a way we still remember. And they did it by doing the one magic solution.

They played hard.

(Top photo: Brian Sevald / NBAE via Getty Images)

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The assignment was simple: Find the person who got the best tattoo to celebrate Michigan’s 2023 national championship.

Unsurprisingly, there were many contenders. Michigan fans are a passionate bunch, and quite a few of them wanted an indelible reminder of the Wolverines’ perfect season tattooed on their skin. One tattoo, discovered in an Instagram post that tagged Ann Arbor’s Lucky Monkey Tattoo Parlour, stood out above the rest. It was clear this story wouldn’t be complete without talking to the guy with the cartoon drawing on his calf of Jim Harbaugh holding a chicken and drinking a glass of milk.

That would be Jimmy McLaughlin, a 36-year-old nurse from Toledo, Ohio. In the course of reporting this story, it came to light that the Harbaugh tattoo was not the most outrageous piece of body art McLaughlin acquired in the wake of Michigan’s national championship.

“Also have a wolverine going to the bathroom on a toilet shaped like the horseshoe, lol,” McLaughlin wrote in a text message.

Excuse me?

“I always kinda thought the Horseshoe looked like a toilet,” McLaughlin explained over the phone. “I had this idea cooking for 10 years, but I had to wait to implement it. You can’t be getting a tattoo like that one on a 10-year losing streak.”

The tattoo is pretty much exactly as McLaughlin described it: colorful, campy and extremely on-brand for one of college football’s nuttiest rivalries. Living in Toledo, a few miles south of the Michigan state line, McLaughlin is surrounded by fans of both teams. Emboldened by Michigan’s three-year winning streak against the Buckeyes, he went through with his plan to get Ohio Stadium tattooed on his thigh in the shape of a porcelain commode.

This is the kind of thing that seems like a great idea when your team is 15-0 and basking in the afterglow of a national championship. But what about when your team is 6-5 and a 21-point underdog at the very stadium you lampooned on your leg? That’s a slightly different story.

After talking to proud tattoo owners before the season, The Athletic contacted them again this week to see how they were holding up amid Michigan’s difficult season. A tattoo is a lifelong commitment, something that’s there through thick and thin — just like the fans who display them. While McLaughlin has received some grief from the Ohio State fans in his life, he’s not discouraged. His tally for his year includes one natty, two new tattoos and zero regrets.

“We’re still the national champions until we’re not,” he said. “Until the clock strikes zero, you better believe every Ohio State fan in the vicinity is going to know about it.”

Another person who presumably does not regret his national championship tattoo is Harbaugh, whose Los Angeles Chargers played John Harbaugh’s Baltimore Ravens on Monday night. Beneath Harbaugh’s Chargers hoodie, he sported a Skinny M tattoo on his shoulder with Michigan’s 15-0 record, the result of a promise he made to his players.

Stephen Bateman, the Grand Rapids-based artist who did Harbaugh’s tattoo, has tattooed NFL cornerback Jalen Ramsey, NBA player Andre Drummond and several former Michigan players. One of his repeat customers is Braiden McGregor, the former Michigan defensive end and current New York Jet who has tattoos covering much of his body.

After the season, McGregor visited Bateman to get a rose and a College Football Playoff trophy added to the Block M on his shoulder. The subject of Harbaugh’s tattoo promise came up, and McGregor arranged for Bateman to do the honors when members of the championship team reunited in Ann Arbor for Michigan’s spring game. The design wasn’t technically challenging, but tattooing a famous football coach with the team looking on was a bit stressful.

“They all had their phones out, probably like 20 of them,” Bateman said. “He kind of just flexed and said he was impervious to pain.”

Bateman did several other championship tattoos, including one for Dillon Gates, a 32-year-old Michigan fan from Grand Rapids. Gates’ arm is covered from elbow to shoulder with a scene of Tom Brady, J.J. McCarthy, Blake Corum and other Michigan greats walking up the stadium tunnel. The tattoo took 30 hours to complete, Gates said, spread out over three sessions.

Gates has cousins in Columbus who are Ohio State fans, but even they had to admit the tattoo was an impressive piece of art. Gates has gotten similar reactions as he traveled around Big Ten country for his job buying used musical instruments.

“I was actually in Pennsylvania, and some guy at the hotel front counter asked me to hold up my arm,” Gates said. “He was like, ‘Dude, I don’t even like Michigan, but that’s an awesome tattoo.’ Mostly, for me, it’s like a badge of honor.”

Gates got the tattoo as part of a pact with a friend, Michigan fan Patrick Coleman. Coleman has a scene on his arm of McCarthy, Corum, Will Johnson and Donovan Edwards celebrating in front of the CFP trophy. When he thought about ways to commemorate the national championship, Coleman decided a tattoo was the most enduring symbol.

“I got all the memorabilia,” Coleman said. “I got posters and flags. I got the T-shirts. Seeing all the hard times we had to go through to finally get to the top, you gotta ink it on your skin so you can always remember it.”

(Courtesy of Stephen Bateman)

In terms of creativity, it’s hard to top McLaughlin’s tattoos. He wanted something no one else would have, something that captured a unique aspect of Michigan’s season. Harbaugh talked frequently about the chickens he raised in his backyard, and the idea of him holding a bird under his arm seemed like a fitting homage.

That tattoo gets lots of comments when McLaughlin runs into other Michigan fans. Somebody spotted the tattoo when McLaughlin was walking through the parking lot before the Michigan-Oregon game a few weeks ago, and before he knew it, he was getting free food and beer at a tailgate.

“Pretty much everyone’s reaction is the same,” McLaughlin said. “Everyone starts busting out laughing. A lot of people are like, ‘What’s up with the chicken?’ I have to explain it, and they’re like ‘Ok, that’s pretty funny.’”

Life after the national championship hasn’t been sunshine and roses for Michigan. The Wolverines have five regular-season losses for the first time since 2014 and are three-touchdown underdogs in Saturday’s game against the Buckeyes. For fans like McLaughlin, that has meant hearing more smack talk from rival fans who weren’t able to say much when Michigan was dominating the Big Ten.

McLaughlin said he’s taken the season in stride. His group chats lit up last week when Michigan landed five-star quarterback Bryce Underwood, and excitement is already building for the future. As for Saturday, McLaughlin plans to watch the game in his garage rather than showing off the toilet bowl tattoo in Columbus. The season hasn’t gone as planned, but if he could go back in time, McLaughlin wouldn’t change a thing.

“For me, it’s no regrets at all,” McLaughlin said.”I was at the Rose Bowl. I celebrated after the natty. Nothing will ever be able to take that feeling away from me.”

GO DEEPER

How much has Michigan’s defense changed under Wink Martindale — and what’s next?

(Top photos courtesy of Jimmy McLaughlin)