Mbappe, Bellingham and Vinicius brilliance leaves Diomande waiting at Real Madrid

Real Madrid’s impressive start to their La Liga campaign has created a problem for new signing Yan Diomande, whose opportunities have been limited by the form of Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Junior.

Real Madrid opened the season with victories over Espanyol and Real Sociedad, with the attacking trio making a particularly strong impression under manager Jose Mourinho.

Mbappe was the standout performer in the 4-1 win against Real Sociedad, scoring a hat-trick. Vinicius Junior added a goal and an assist, while Bellingham produced his best performance in a Real Madrid shirt for several months by setting up two goals.

The performances earned praise from Mourinho, who appears to have found an effective way of balancing the three attacking players and allowing them to combine successfully on the pitch.

However, their form has come at the expense of Diomande, according to Mundo Deportivo. The 19-year-old Ivorian winger arrived at Real Madrid as the most expensive signing in the club’s history, having joined for 125m euros, but that record fee has not guaranteed him a prominent role in the team.

Diomande was signed with the expectation that he could contribute both immediately and over the longer term. For now, though, he is behind Vinicius Junior and Arda Guler in Mourinho’s preferred 4-2-3-1 system.

Vinicius and Guler have occupied the wide positions in each of Real Madrid’s first two competitive matches this season. Guler’s move to the right wing has made Diomande’s route into the starting line-up even more difficult.

Mourinho has identified the right side as an ideal position for the Turkey midfielder. Guler begins from the flank before moving into more central areas when Real Madrid have possession, giving the team an additional creative option in midfield while also reducing the space available to Diomande.

The Ivorian has made only a limited contribution so far. He came on during the second half against Espanyol, with the score level at 1-1.

His second appearance came against Real Sociedad, when he replaced Vinicius Junior in the 84th minute after the match had effectively been decided midway through the second half.

As a result, Diomande has played only slightly more than 30 minutes across the opening two rounds of La Liga.

He is now facing a similar wait to Brahim Diaz, who was left out entirely against Espanyol before making his first appearance of the season against Real Sociedad. The strength of Real Madrid’s attack means opportunities for squad players are currently limited.

Diomande’s immediate task is to remain patient and wait for Mourinho to rotate his team in the matches ahead. Until then, his record transfer fee and long-term prospects will remain overshadowed by the exceptional early-season form of Mbappe, Bellingham and Vinicius Junior.