Janice R. Andrews
People in the football world are very excited about the latest transfers, but this week’s most interesting story isn’t about the big-money deals or the famous new players. People are more interested in Oli McBurnie’s surprising start in La Liga. People were incredibly excited when Kylian Mbappe joined Real Madrid, but McBurnie’s early efforts in Spain have made the French superstar’s start look less important.
A Big Arrival with Stars
People were looking forward to Kylian Mbappe’s arrival at Real Madrid more than any other player in recent sports history. The Bernabeu was packed with about 85,000 excited fans waiting to see the World Cup winner. This number is second only to the excitement around Cristiano Ronaldo’s arrival in 2009. It looked like the Spanish league, which is known for signing Galacticos, was about to get another gem.
Ronaldo became Real Madrid’s all-time top scorer, scoring an amazing goal every game for nine seasons and leading the team to four Champions League wins. Mbappe’s arrival was supposed to have the same effect. Mbappe was under a lot of pressure to live up to this reputation. But in a strange turn of events, the attention has now turned to a different player, one who wasn’t even the biggest name in the summer transfer window.
What McBurnie Did That No One Expected
Oli McBurnie, from Yorkshire, moved to Las Palmas this summer. People knew McBurnie from his time with lower-level teams like Bradford City, Chester, and Barnsley. His career didn’t seem to have much to do with the glamour of La Liga’s top teams. Even though McBurnie only scored 29 goals in five seasons at Sheffield United, he has made a huge difference in Spain.
Even though Las Palmas and Sevilla tied 2-2 in their first La Liga game, McBurnie showed potential. Aftersun was a bottle of alcohol given to the striker by his eager fans to celebrate his great play. In his next game, he helped Sandro Ramirez score in a 2-1 loss to Leganes, but it was his play against Real Madrid that really stood out.
A Star Turns Against Real Madrid
McBurnie showed off his skill and vision by setting up Alberto Moleiro for a great goal in an exciting game against Real Madrid. His quick pass into the box showed that he could change the game at important times. Real Madrid came back with a penalty that tied the game at 1-1, but McBurnie’s play stood out, especially since Mbappe is still looking for his first goal or assist in La Liga.
The two players’ starts could not have been more different. There are a lot of high hopes for Mbappe, but he hasn’t made a mark in the Spanish top flight yet. So far, the Frenchman hasn’t scored or set up a goal in La Liga, so his transfer hasn’t been smooth. Real Madrid’s slow start to the season—two lost points in their first three games—has made people even more interested in Mbappe.
First Impressions and Hopes for the Future
Even though it’s still early, and Mbappe is sure to find his groove soon thanks to his world-class skills and the quality of the players around him, the early season stats are funny to look at. With his two goals, McBurnie is currently doing better than Mbappe, whose expected effect was much bigger.
Carlo Ancelotti, the coach of Real Madrid, has to figure out how to fit Mbappe into a system that has had trouble replacing Toni Kroos’s steady presence and making a stacked attack work well. It’s a puzzle that will need time to be solved. The media will have to be patient, but sports fans are still excited to see how this story develops.
Right now, Oli McBurnie’s surprise start in La Liga is a story that people want to know more about. Kylian Mbappe is still a world-class player who is ready to make his mark, but McBurnie’s early contributions have given the first few games of the season an interesting twist. Football fans will be very interested to see how these two players’ careers progress in La Liga and whether McBurnie can keep his surprising lead over the most expected football star in the world.
