Kylian Mbappé delivered a sensational hat-trick as Real Madrid recovered from a tense first half to thrash Real Sociedad 4-1 in their first LaLiga home game of the season at the Santiago Bernabéu on Wednesday.
The victory gave José Mourinho a winning return to the Bernabéu, more than 13 years after his previous home match as Real Madrid manager. Mbappé supplied three goals, while Vinícius Júnior added the other as Madrid turned a 1-1 half-time score into a commanding victory.
The French forward opened the scoring in the 40th minute after Federico Valverde split the Sociedad defence with a superb pass. Mbappé raced into the area before creating space and firing into the top corner.
Real Sociedad responded almost immediately. Four minutes later, Luka Sučić capitalised on a goalmouth scramble and fired into the bottom corner to restore parity.
Madrid had endured an uneven opening period, with Sociedad threatening on the counter and goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois called into action. The home crowd also expressed its frustration during a first half in which Mourinho’s side struggled to find their rhythm.
The second half, however, belonged to Real Madrid.
Mbappé restored Madrid’s advantage in the 60th minute after combining brilliantly with Jude Bellingham. The England midfielder exchanged a quick one-two with Mbappé inside the box, allowing the France captain to finish low beyond Álex Remiro.
Bellingham then played another important role in Madrid’s third goal eight minutes later. His pressing helped win the ball back before he set up Vinícius, who finished from close range to make it 3-1.
Mbappé completed his hat-trick in the 80th minute after Vinícius produced a clever pass behind the defence. The Frenchman remained composed and lifted the ball over Remiro to seal Madrid’s fourth goal and his treble.
The performance capped an impressive evening for Mbappé, who had already threatened several times before scoring. He had an early effort saved by Remiro and later saw another good opportunity denied before eventually breaking the deadlock.
Madrid finished the match with a comfortable victory despite Sociedad’s promising start and a relatively even possession battle. The hosts’ greater attacking efficiency ultimately proved decisive.
The result also gave Mourinho a memorable homecoming as Madrid made it two victories from two league matches. The win moved Real Madrid to six points and put them provisionally at the top of LaLiga.
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