Real Madrid's €140 Million Record Signing Has 0 Goals and 0 Assists in 4 Games; Spanish Media Criticize: Inferior to Espi and Not Worth the Price

On September 5 Beijing time, in the fourth round of La Liga, Real Madrid suffered a shock away defeat, losing by one goal. In the match, Real Madrid dominated possession and chances but failed to score. Mbappe's individual performance left Real Madrid fans dissatisfied, and new signing Diomande also came under attention. Real Madrid's €140 million record signing has 0 goals and 0 assists in 4 games! Spanish media criticize: inferior to Espi and not worth the high price.

In this match, Real Madrid had 58% possession, 20 shots which was twice as many as Real Betis, 8 shots on target as a team, while Betis had 5 shots on target. Real Madrid also hit the woodwork three times. Mourinho's team created seven clear chances, while Betis had only one. Real Madrid's shot conversion rate was too low. After repeatedly missing scoring opportunities, they were punished in the 81st minute when Parrott scored a rebound goal for Betis from a corner-kick opportunity, putting Real Madrid behind.

In the 87th minute, Espi scored with a side volley, but the goal was ruled invalid because of offside. In stoppage time, after Vinicius won a penalty, Mbappe's spot kick lacked quality and was saved by Betis goalkeeper Valles. Mbappe played the full match, taking 7 shots and missing 4 clear chances, receiving a rating of 6.0, the lowest among all players who appeared. Real Madrid lost 0-1 to the opponent. After Mourinho returned to Real Madrid, he suffered his first defeat.

More concerning is that the issue of Mbappe and Vinicius playing together remains difficult to solve. A problem that Ancelotti, Alonso and Arbeloa were unable to handle is also proving challenging for Mourinho.

This summer, Real Madrid signed Ivory Coast international Diomande from Leipzig for a total fee of €140 million. He was not only the club's most expensive signing of the summer but also the most expensive acquisition in Real Madrid's history. In Real Madrid's match against Betis, Diomande came on as a substitute in the 64th minute, recording 1 successful dribble, 0 shots and 0 key passes. Since joining Real Madrid, Diomande has failed to start in any La Liga match, making consecutive substitute appearances. He has played a total of 83 minutes with 0 goals and 0 assists, and has yet to prove himself.

Spanish media outlet Cadena SER stated: "Espi had a major impact on the match after coming on, while Diomande was the exact opposite. He barely touched the ball, and his performance did not match his high transfer fee." For a title-contending team like Real Madrid, losing one league match should raise an alarm, because Barcelona have performed better, and one defeat could mean falling behind Barcelona. Since signing Mbappe, Real Madrid have ended up without a trophy in all four major competitions for two consecutive seasons, while Barcelona have won back-to-back La Liga titles.

Gordon, whom Barcelona signed for €80 million, has performed well since joining the team and has already secured a starting role. Meanwhile, Real Madrid's Diomande cost even more and has made little contribution so far. In the right-wing position, is he really inferior to Guler?