MADRID, May 15 — Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappe was whistled by fans at the Santiago Bernabeu in his team’s 2-0 win over Real Oviedo on Thursday in La Liga.
The Frenchman returned from a thigh injury as a substitute for Los Blancos, who will finish a second straight season without a major trophy after Barcelona were crowned league champions last week.
Madrid, without Mbappe, lost the Clasico at Camp Nou on Sunday to confirm Hansi Flick’s side as title winners.
Their top goalscorer Mbappe has come in for heavy criticism from the club’s fans in recent weeks for a perceived lack of commitment to the cause.
Gonzalo Garcia opened the scoring for second-place Madrid before half-time and Jude Bellingham added the second in a routine victory over relegated Oviedo at a stadium with thousands of empty seats.
“The whistles... that’s life, you can’t change the opinion of the people when they are angry,” Mbappe told reporters.
“It’s the life of a Real Madrid player and a famous player like me.
“Footballers don’t always have to understand, they have to accept and look forward and change the situation.”
Alvaro Arbeloa, whose future as Madrid coach is poised to come to an end with Jose Mourinho linked with a return to the Bernabeu bench, began with Mbappe and England international Bellingham on the bench.
Franco Mastantuono forced an early save from Aaron Escandell in what proved Madrid’s best opening for most of the first period.
At the other end, Nacho Vidal smashed over after a good move from the visitors.
Madrid winger Vinicius Junior, who was also the target of some whistles, had a shot blocked and then fired the rebound into the side-netting.
Madrid edged ahead with a tidy finish by Garcia shortly before the interval after Brahim Diaz fired a low pass his way in the box.
Escandell tipped over a Diaz drive and then saved from Alvaro Carreras at the near post in the second half.
Vidal missed another fine chance for Oviedo, dragging his shot across goal and wide.
Mbappe targeted
Arbeloa sent on Mbappe, who was whistled by Madrid’s fans, particularly unhappy at his recent holiday to Sardinia while recovering from injury.
Mbappe, who scored 41 goals in 41 games across all competitions this season before this game, tried his best to smile it off. The striker had a couple of shots off-target and another blocked.
Many Los Blancos players have been jeered by Madrid supporters over the years, including Mbappe’s idol Cristiano Ronaldo.
Madrid president Florentino Perez this week called elections during a tumultuous period for the club.
Stewards took away a banner from fans reading “Florentino go now”, with opinion split over the Madrid chief.
Bellingham added the second for Madrid after receiving the ball from Mbappe, creating some space for himself and drilling hard and low past Escandell from just inside the box.
It settled this match but Madrid’s problems will not be solved as easily.
Elsewhere, Girona drew 1-1 against Real Sociedad to climb up to 15th, still just one point above the relegation zone.
Mid-table sides Valencia and Rayo Vallecano also shared a 1-1 draw but are not completely safe from the spectre of relegation. — AFP
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