Kylian Mbappe struck twice against his former side Monaco as Real Madrid romped to an emphatic 6-1 Champions League victory on Tuesday to ease tensions around the club.
Vinicius Junior, who was jeered by his own fans during a home win over Levante last weekend, also shone and scored a brilliant goal himself as Madrid strengthened their bid to claim a top eight finish in the league phase.
New coach Alvaro Arbeloa secured a second win at the helm after replacing Xabi Alonso last week, with his team producing a dazzling attacking display.
Jude Bellingham and Franco Mastantuono were also on target for Los Blancos and Thilo Kehrer bundled a Vinicius cross into his own net as Madrid delivered arguably their best performance of the season.
Mbappe has been in superb form even when Madrid have struggled and stretched his lead at the top of the European goalscoring charts with his 10th and 11th goals to give his team a commanding lead.
After missing the Copa del Rey humiliation by Albacete in Arbeloa’s disastrous first game, Mbappe has netted in the next two matches.
It took just five minutes for the French superstar to open the scoring, slotting home lethally from just inside the area after Fede Valverde knocked on Mastantuono’s cut-back.
After celebrating with his team-mates Mbappe apologised to the visiting supporters, having first emerged into the world’s spotlight while at Monaco.
Ansu Fati, on loan at Monaco from Madrid’s rivals Barcelona, came close before Arbeloa’s side struck again.
They launched a devastating counter-attack, with Eduardo Camavinga’s clever flick to Arda Guler sparking the move. Guler found Vinicius, who span the ball across for Mbappe, just onside, to tuck home.
Despite being shredded defensively Monaco offered some attacking threat and Jordan Teze hit the crossbar with a well-guided long range effort.
Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois also made a couple of solid saves before the break, with Madrid’s third coming shortly after the action resumed.
Vinicius, heavily involved, unselfishly teed up former River Plate playmaker Mastantuono, who swept home.
After 55 minutes Madrid had four, with Kehrer turning Vinicius’s raking low cross into his own net as Monaco crumbled.
Arbeloa has only had words of praise for Vinicius since taking over and the forward rewarded his coach with a hug after ramming in the fifth.
Vinicius fired into the top corner past helpless goalkeeper Philipp Kohn for only his second goal in his last 19 matches for the club.
There were a few boos for him at the start but they dried up fast as Vinicius reminded Madrid’s fans how good he can be.
Teze pulled one back for Monaco after a mistake by Dani Ceballos, before Madrid struck again to round off the rout.
Bellingham wrapped things up, rounding the goalkeeper to net in the 80th minute after Dean Huijsen cleverly dummied Valverde’s pass.
AFP
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