Mbappé sees Atletico derby at the Metropolitano as a golden push for the Ballon d'Or

Kylian Mbappé has a date this Saturday at the Metropolitano that goes far beyond the three points. The Real Madrid star faces the derby against Atletico as the perfect stage to deliver a statement in the Ballon d'Or race, with just over a week left before voting for the prestigious award closes. The French forward is in top form and wants to use it to leave his mark on a match that has historically resisted him.

• Mbappé views the derby as the final rally of his Ballon d'Or campaign, with voting about to close.
• The Frenchman has scored eight goals in seven matches this season and arrives after being decisive in the Copa del Rey against Elche.
• He has only scored two goals against Atletico in two seasons, and neither helped Real Madrid win the match.
• He is chasing Cristiano Ronaldo's record as the fastest player to reach 100 goals for the club, set during the Portuguese's third season.

The Metropolitano as a prime showcase for the Ballon d'Or push

The race for the Ballon d'Or is tighter than ever. Mbappé is competing neck and neck with players like Harry Kane, Lamine Yamal and several of the Spanish internationals who became world champions. In this final stretch, every match counts, and a derby with maximum visibility is an opportunity the striker does not want to waste. A Real Madrid victory with a stellar performance from the Frenchman on enemy territory would be a powerful argument to convince voters.

The Bondy-born attacker wants to raise the tone of his message on the pitch. The Metropolitano becomes his personal rally, the perfect closing event for a campaign that began at supersonic speed. Since the start of the season, Mbappé has shown an outstanding level and has taken on the role of offensive leader for the white side.

Eight goals in seven matches: Mbappé's rich vein of form

The Frenchman's numbers this season speak for themselves. He has scored eight goals in seven official matches, spread across six league games and one Champions League fixture. He has only failed to score in two outings, against Espanyol and Betis, and comes into the derby after a match-winning display in the Copa del Rey against Elche, where he scored and provided the assist for the 2-3 winner in stoppage time.

A statement win by Real Madrid at the Metropolitano with a stellar Mbappé would be a major boost for his goal of being crowned in Paris.

Mbappé's unfinished business against Atletico

Despite his excellent overall form, Atletico Madrid has been a tough nut to crack for Mbappé since he started wearing white. In two seasons he has only celebrated two goals against the Rojiblancos, and neither of them helped secure a victory. He has never won at the Metropolitano either, although the Champions League defeat there last season felt like a triumph because Real Madrid ended up advancing on penalties. That night, the Frenchman was the first to alert everyone to the famous Julián Álvarez penalty that was eventually disallowed.

His full record against Atletico reflects that difficulty. In his first season he missed the league trip to the Rojiblancos' home through injury, and in the return leg at the Bernabéu he scored the equalizer in a 1-1 draw. In the Champions League round of 16 that same season he played every minute across both legs but did not score. Last season he found the net in a painful league defeat at the Metropolitano, the team's first of the campaign with Xabi Alonso on the bench. He missed the Spanish Super Cup semifinal through injury and was a substitute in the league return at the Bernabéu, failing to score in the 26 minutes he played.

The Cristiano Ronaldo record within Mbappé's reach

The derby also offers extra motivation for another reason: the early-scoring record set by Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese star netted his 100th goal as a Madrid player on November 2, 2011, at Lyon's ground, during his third season in white and with José Mourinho in charge. That mark of goal-scoring speed still stands in the club's history books.

Now Mbappé has the chance to lower it. The Frenchman has 94 goals in a Real Madrid shirt and has a little over a month to storm that summit. The margin, however, is tightened by the long international break that follows the derby, so he needs to keep adding to his tally against Atletico to keep the chase for the Portuguese's record alive.

Frequently asked questions about Mbappé and the Atletico derby