Kylian Mbappé faces his first Clásico against FC Barcelona this Saturday, a team against which he boasts his best goal-scoring average of 1.5 goals per match—a promising statistic that could inspire the Frenchman to find his best form with Real Madrid in a fierce rivalry that echoes his successes in France.

Mbappé joined Real Madrid this summer after seven years of speculation linking him to the club. One of the world’s top players finally arrived at the European champions, expected to become a deadly weapon. However, the reality after 13 matches is a bit different: it’s his slowest offensive start since leaving AS Monaco in 2017.

So far this season, Mbappé has scored eight goals and provided two assists, totaling ten goal involvements, below the contributions he posted in his seven seasons at Paris Saint-Germain. In terms of goal numbers alone, he’s had slower starts in only two PSG seasons—six goals in 2021-2022 and seven in 2017-2018—but matched his assist count in both.

In 2019-2020, 2020-2021 (10 goals), and 2022-2023, 2023-2024 (12 goals), as well as in 2018-2019 (13 goals), he scored more across his first 13 matches of the season. His Real Madrid debut, while prolific, lacks the efficiency he displayed in Paris. Out of 61 shots taken across 13 games, 28 have been on target, leaving him with a 28.57% conversion rate compared to the 41% he averaged at PSG.

Now operating as a center-forward, with Vinícius Jr. occupying the left flank, Mbappé is not converting as clinically. Based on his expected goals this season, he should have scored 11.48 goals, falling short by 3.48.

Ideal Rival to Rediscover His Form

Despite the high expectations surrounding his arrival, this Saturday’s Clásico presents an ideal setting for Mbappé to regain his best form. According to BeSoccer Pro data for EFE, the French forward holds the best scoring average against Barcelona among players with at least three matches played, netting six times in four matches—an impressive 1.5 goals per game.

He’s only failed to score once against Barça, in last season’s Champions League quarter-final first leg. In the return leg, he bagged a brace. In their prior European clash, he scored a hat-trick in the round of 16 first leg (1-4) and added another goal in the second leg (1-1).

As he now faces Barça in a Clásico, Mbappé will confront a new level of rivalry. In France, he excelled against Olympique de Marseille, scoring ten goals in 16 matches, and also posted strong numbers against big teams—13 goals in 16 games against Olympique Lyonnais, 11 in 14 against Monaco, and 11 in 15 against Lille.

This time, facing Barcelona offers Mbappé a chance to not only continue his strong record against them but also to close in on Robert Lewandowski in the race for LaLiga EA Sports’ top scorer. The Polish striker leads the scoring charts with 12 goals to Mbappé’s six, making this a high-stakes encounter for both sides.