Lille-Real Madrid: we explain why the reunion between the Mbappé brothers did not go as planned

Les frères Mbappé se sont retrouvés lors d'un match de Ligue des champions le 2 octobre 2024. MaxPPP

This Wednesday, October 2, 2024, LOSC hosted Real Madrid at its Pierre Mauroy stadium. An expected match since the two Mbappé brothers, Kylian and Ethan, were supposed to face each other, but nothing went as planned.

For the second group match of the Champions League, Carlo Ancelotti's men traveled to the north of France, to Lille. The match was highly anticipated since it was the reunion between Kylian and Ethan Mbappé, no longer as teammates, but as opponents.

The injured Mbappés

The Merengues' number 9 was uncertain for the match, which disappointed many Real fans. But the Madrid coach finally decided to start the match with Kylian on the bench. But it was Ethan who was absent from the match sheet, also injured.

LOSC coach Bruno Genesio recalled his brother's disappointment in a press conference on Tuesday. “I don't think there are many brothers who have faced each other in the Champions League. I haven't seen him since his injury and I don't want to talk to him right away because I know what state he can be in. “I think there's no need to add anything more,” he said.

Ethan happy with the victory

Although the reigning champions were the clear favourites for the match, the encounter ended with a surprising score of 1 goal to 0 for Lille after a penalty converted by Jonathan David following a handball in the area by French international Eduardo Camavinga.

Kylian Mbappé nevertheless came on in the 57th minute to replace Brazilian Eder Militao, without however being able to convert a single opportunity. It was with his head down that the Madrid player returned to the locker room, while his little brother went down onto the pitch to celebrate the victory.

Ethan was visibly proud of his teammates' performance since he can be seen launching a war cry with his team in the locker room, on a video posted on social networks.

“We could have equalized but it wouldn't have been deserved”

Carlo Ancelotti, the Italian coach of Real Madrid, acknowledged that his team's defeat in Lille (1-0) on Wednesday during the 2nd day of the Champions League was “deserved” but hoped that it would be a “electroshock” for his team, disappointing since the beginning of the season.

“It wasn't a very good evening, we shouldn't look for excuses. “We could have equalized at the end but it wouldn't have been deserved,” he said in a press conference after the match. “It's difficult to look back on today's game, we made a mistake about everything,” .