MADRID — Real Madrid’s much-hyped summer signing received the ball just outside the penalty area. With one touch, the ball was cleared from the nearest defender, and another fired low and effortlessly past the keeper. The goal extended Madrid’s lead over Real Valladolid to 3-0 in injury time. Game over.

But it wasn’t Kylian Mbappé scoring on his long-awaited home debut at the Santiago Bernabeu. It was another newcomer, Endrick. In fact, Mbappé wasn’t even on the pitch. Madrid’s No.9 had been replaced by the Brazilian teenager 10 minutes earlier, with his team holding a shaky 1-0 lead.

First impressions are important, especially after such a long wait. Mbappé stepping onto the Bernabeu pitch in a Real Madrid shirt was a moment he and the club’s fans had been waiting for. And it didn’t go the way they wanted.

There was no goal; no smiling, arms-crossed celebration. It didn’t matter in the end — Madrid were the easy winners, thanks to second-half goals from Federico Valverde, Brahim Díaz and Endrick — but the performance from Mbappé, and the team as a whole, suggested that this Madrid team is still a work in progress.

In 86 minutes on the pitch, Mbappé had the fewest touches of any Madrid outfield player (47) and attempted the fewest passes (26). And when it came to what really matters, how he will be judged – scoring goals – he didn’t make any progress.

He had four shots, three of which were saved by Valladolid goalkeeper Karl Hein. The third of those was his best, a clever, improvised backheel tap-in as Vinícius Júnior’s cross came in just behind him. Perhaps his biggest regret at the end of the game was his fourth shot, which went wide of the target when he was behind the defence. It was Mbappé’s last action before being replaced by manager Carlo Ancelotti.

At that point, at 1-0, the game was not yet won. But Ancelotti, who had already brought on Luka Modric, Diaz and Dani Ceballos, wanted a change in attack. Enter Endrick. Two minutes later, Diaz scored Madrid’s second, ending the game before Endrick added the finishing touch in injury time.

Mbappé’s position in the Real Madrid team is clear enough. He is the striker, with Vinicius and Rodrygo on either wing. That means he is in no danger of losing his place. After the game, Ancelotti insisted that Mbappé is not limited by playing centrally. Against a compact and organised Valladolid, however, there was little space for him to operate and few opportunities to show his greatest asset: his pace.

There were some moments of frustration. During the half-hour cooling-off period in the first half — with temperatures of 34 degrees Celsius (93 F) in Madrid — Mbappé was seen in deep conversation with Vinicius. Their body language and gestures suggested they were discussing how to better coordinate their movements and Madrid’s press.

Even the Bernabeu crowd blew their whistles prematurely after 40 minutes when midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni overshot a pass and fired the ball into Mbappé’s feet on the edge of the penalty area. The striker, however, would never get control of the ball.

There were near misses and hints of what the future might hold. In the second half, Vinicius dropped deeper, came infield and then drove forward with the ball, almost passing it to Mbappé. The two players worked brilliantly together for Mbappé’s best moment, the flick that Hein saved. And his final chance, apart from shooting, was the kind of chance he might normally have taken, perhaps if he weren’t so tense and so eager to impress.

It didn’t help that Mbappé’s replacement, Endrick, took his chance and looked so carefree. There have been plenty of questions about the 18-year-old’s readiness at this, the highest level, but here, in a brief glimpse, he looked ready. “He has a lot of potential,” Ancelotti said. “With the goal, he showed all his qualities.”

Of course, this wasn’t exactly Mbappé’s introduction to the Bernabeu. He’s been here three times before, in a Paris Saint-Germain shirt: playing in a 3-1 defeat in February 2018, scoring in a 2-2 draw in November 2019, and most memorably, impressing in a 3-1 defeat in March 2022. The fans know his quality and will be patient.

But here, on his home debut, he failed to perform in the manner of so many Madrid greats. Cristiano Ronaldo scored in his first game at the Bernabeu. Ronaldo Nazário scored after a minute, with his first touch of the ball, from the bench in October 2002. More recently, Jude Bellingham scored in the 95th minute to give Madrid a 2-1 win over Getafe last season, cementing his already blossoming relationship with the Madrid fans.

For Endrick, the short wait for a LaLiga goal is over, a weight off his shoulders. Mbappé moves on.