Kylian Mbappe says he “can’t control what is being said” about his relationship with Real Madrid team-mate Vinicius Junior — and that he does not care that Paris Saint-Germain have won the Champions League in the two seasons after he left the French club.Mbappe was speaking on Monday lunchtime ahead of Madrid’s Champions League league phase opener at home against Inter Milan on Tuesday, fresh from his side’s first defeat of the season — Friday’s 1-0 loss at Real Betis.The France captain was asked whether he and Vinicius Jr get along, after the pair were criticised following the defeat in Seville.“It’s one of the millions of opinions there are at Madrid, so I can’t control what is being said,” Mbappe replied. “We have the objective of winning and we try to control what we can control.”Mbappe was also questioned about his and Vinicius Jr’s defensive contributions, in comparison to that of Barcelona captain Raphinha and PSG’s Ousmane Dembele.“Just me and Vinicius? I don’t know,” he said. “Of course we have to improve. That’s natural, like with every player.“I could be silly and say that everyone else has to score as many goals as me, but comparisons don’t make sense. I think we have to do things better with the ball, but that is the life of a top-level team.”Madrid have yet to win a major trophy since Mbappe’s arrival from PSG in the summer of 2024, while the Paris club have lifted the Champions League in both seasons since the 27-year-old’s departure.“It’s a football analysis and I can’t change that,” Mbappe said when the point was put to him. “I can’t speak in general terms, but honestly, I don’t really care.“I’m not the person who knows the most, but I know a lot about football. And I know that talking about me sells a lot.”Mbappe speaks – but questions remainWe already knew Mbappe was a fan of Cristiano Ronaldo. But perhaps we had not seen just how much he could sound like him when frustrated.The striker spoke with plenty of conviction in his pre-match press conference ahead of the game against Inter, making it clear what he believes the team needs.On several occasions, though, he returned to the phrase “that’s what sells” when discussing why his partnership with Vinicius Jr has not developed as expected.The reality is that we are still waiting to see the two perform consistently at their best level together.That has been the case again at the start of this season. Mbappe has made a strong individual start, scoring four goals in four games despite missing a penalty in the 1-0 defeat by Real Betis. Vinicius Jr, meanwhile, has been less effective, with one goal and one assist.But beneath the debate about their attacking relationship lies a more important question: defensive balance.Mbappe acknowledged that there are areas in which they need to improve, but he stopped short of making any public commitment to changing his approach. Instead, he pointed to his goalscoring as one of his biggest strengths.It is an old problem, and one that remains unresolved.